Harry Potter and The Marriage Law
by AFallenAngel121
Summary: Now the War is over, young couples everywhere are being put into arranged marriages for the sake of the Wizarding World, some are pleased with their chosen soulmates while others are not so pleased. The Weasley family, Harry and Hermione all try to handle the sudden upcoming weddings, along with trying to handle their wounds from the battle.
1. The Beginning

_BREAKING NEWS FOR THE WIZARDING WORLD!_

 _In light of the recent war where the Dark Lord was finally defeated by none other than Mr Harry Potter, the wizarding world found itself in a state of panic. With the Ministry of Magic scrambling to repair the damages to not only Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry but to also Diagon Alley and houses etc they have now found evidence of declining birth rates of witches and wizards._

 _There is impending rumours that the Ministry have now begun to converse about reinstating the Marriage Law, in which they marry off a suited Witch and Wizard between the ages of 17-35 who are most likely to birth magical children. However, these so called rumours have not yet been confirmed by a member of the Ministry or the Minister himself, Kingsley Shacklebolt._

 _We will update you with more news when it has become available._

Molly Weasley read and re-read the small article in the Prophet but no matter how many times she continued reading the same paragraph over, the words would not change, declining birth rates were to be expected with so many untimely deaths during the War, but it hadn't seemed that bad that the Ministry need to reinstate the Marriage Law. She slipped her reading glasses off and looked at her dear husband who was pale in the face.

"Any word Arthur?" She asked quietly, her voice far too calm for such a situation

Arthur nodded and took his hat off, wringing it tightly in his hands. "Yes, Kingsley has decided that the best way for the Wizarding world to reform is to reinstate the Marriage law. It was a tough decision, but...it's for the best Molly"

"For the best?! Arthur, our boys are barely men, and Ginny! She's only finished her seventh year, you can't expect her to marry. She's far too young" Tears sprung into Molly's eyes as she envisioned her daughter in a beautiful gown marrying a faceless strange who may as well be a prisoner from Azkaban.

"Look, Molly, I understand that your frightened –" Molly cut him off

"Frightened?! Arthur, I am terrified! No one should be forced to marry this young, for the good of the Wizarding world or not. And poor Harry and Hermione, what are they going to do? Just as they thought they could finally live a normal life" Molly sighed and went over to the kitchen sink to stare out the window.

Molly Weasley just hoped that whatever came of this marriage law, it would be for the good. God knows those children don't need any more trouble in their lives.

"Very well, we may floo everyone and tell them to arrive. I think it'd be better to tell them in person before the Prophet finds out"

"Yes dear"


	2. The Marriage Law

_Arranged Marriage is like a blind date, except that date is supposed to last a lifetime_

As the small Weasley kitchen once again became filled with not only the Weasley clan but also Harry and Hermione, they knew something was up. Arthur Weasley was currently punishing his hat to a cruel and unjustified wringing, and Molly Weasley looked pale and shaken. They all just prayed that Voldemort hadn't decided to make a surprise appearance again.

"Mum" Ginny was first to speak, "What's going on? You look like somebody died"

Mrs Weasley shot her daughter a steely glare before sighing and placing herself in a chair, thinking that if she paced anymore there would be a hole in the floor. "Arthur, you're better to tell them" She sighed and nodded to her husband, who choked at the sudden stares he got.

"Well, um...Me and your Mother, thought it would be best if you heard it from us rather than the Prophet" He began

"Hear what?" George quizzed

"I'm getting to that!" Arthur barked, he took a deep breathed and apologized to his son before continuing on. "As I was saying, we thought it would be best if we got to you first. Because, as of tomorrow the Ministry will be sending each and every Witch and Wizard from the age of 17-35 a letter, about a new law" He walked behind his wife's chair and held onto the sturdy wood for support, if this is how they were taking it he would like to see other families

"A new law?" Hermione repeated, what on earth could this new law be about? As far as she knew the Wizarding world was slowly but surely rising to its feet again, there had been no trouble ever since Voldemort's defeat and she certainly knew that none of them were in trouble, they had been perfect citizens as of late trying to regain normality in their lives again.

"A law Hermione, that arranges you all...to marriage"

A dead silence fell on the group of 8, but only for a moment, then an uproar occurred just like the two parents expected, first it was Fred and George who unceremoniously tipped their chairs backwards in a fit of rage, they downright refused to marry who was ever on that piece of parchment. Soon followed Ron and Ginny, protesting their human rights that they had free will on whom to choose as to be betrothed too. However, it was Hermione's reaction that shocked Mrs Weasley the most, the older witch watched the young brunette as she physically stiffened in her chair, her usual creamy skin paling to a sickly white as the full effect of the law hit her.

"Hermione, what do you think dear?" Molly asked quietly, the pair of chocolate brown eyes flicked up to her, sadness and confusion deep within them; she all but shrugged and returned to her mind.

To say that Hermione was in shock would be an understatement, she was paralyzed with fear, thoughts of who her fiancé would be plagued her, for the love of god she hoped it wouldn't be Draco Malfoy, as much as they had grown closer after the war she just didn't think he would be suitable marriage material. Her eyes flicked to Ron, as a spark of familiarity spread through her body, it would be awkward yes, especially when it came to consummating their marriage but they had tried before, who said they couldn't try again? But she didn't want to go there, as much as she would love to be part of the Weasley family all of the boys were like her brothers and marrying one of them just didn't feel right.

After a while, the loud voices began to quieten and to everyone's surprise Hermione spoke first.

"When do the letters arrive ?" Her voice was dull, lifeless if you will

"Kingsley said as early as tomorrow morning, they will be brought by ministry official owls. He says he hired the best wizard matchmakers known to make sure they could couple the right pairs" Hermione nodded and looked at the rest of the group.

"If you excuse, I'm going to head to bed, thank you for the invite to stay Mrs Weasley" The older woman smiled as much as she could and shook her head

"No need dear, you're always welcome here" And with a nod, Hermione disappeared

Hermione shut Ginny's door tightly and sat on the spare bed that had been conjured for her, in a few hours time she would be engaged, to a stranger? To a good friend? Who knows? All she knew was that her life was flashing before her eyes, and in that moment Hermione pulled out sheets of parchment and quills, she began writing to the only person she knew who could comfort her right now.

 _Have you heard the news? The marriage law has been reinstated; I am due to be married. I'm not quite sure what to think at the minute, but I know you're probably as in much shock as I am to learn of your arranged marriage._

 _Write back soon,_

 _Hermione_

She re-read her letter before sealing it and giving it to Hedwig, giving her food for the journey as well. And in what seemed like a robotic routine, she soon found herself in her pyjamas and in bed, falling asleep to the thoughts of wedding dresses and planning

In what seemed to be the shortest 8 hours sleep of her life, Hermione woke up the next morning dazed and confused, not too sure whether last night was a dream or not but as she arrived in the kitchen to find the Weasley's sitting at the table with the ministry owls perched in the middle, she knew it was real.

"Good morning Mione, take a seat" Mrs Weasley smiled slightly as the young witch took a seat beside her. "We thought it'd be best to wait for you" She nodded and glanced at the large tawny owl that held large thick envelopes in its beak. All too quickly Mr Weasley began handing out each teenagers letters before paying the owl, all eyes were on the purple envelopes and you could feel the tension in the room.

"I guess I'll go first" Ginny took a deep breath and opened her letter, her eyes scanned the letter until finding the information she needed. "I'm too marry Seamus Finnegan" She smiled a little, at least it was someone she knew, plus she had always thought Seamus was cute and now that he had filled out with playing for the Chudley cannons, she could get used to it. Next up it was Ron's turn, his hands shakily pulled back the material and his eyes found the name in a matter of seconds.

"Lavender Brown" He groaned in agony and placed his head on the table, she had to be the most annoying girl in all of Hogwarts, possibly even more annoying than Moaning Myrtle.

"Don't worry Ron, I saw her the other week and she seemed a lot more mature" Harry reassured his best friend with a pat on the back before opening his own letter

"Luna Lovegood" He shrugged, Luna wasn't as crazy as before but she still had that dream quality about her, which was actually quite appealing.

"I got Angelina, the girl I used to date in 4th year" George chuckled with a smile

"Katie Bell for me" Fred grinned at his before and silently began thinking of rings in his mind, he was going to do this properly, albeit quickly but properly. Finally, it was Hermione's turn, she gulped and with steady hands ripped opened her envelope

 **Dear Miss Hermione Granger,**

 **As you know on 21st July 2000, the Wizengamot formally passed the bill requesting that the Marriage Law be reinstated for females and males of the ages of 17-35 to marry their chosen soul mate as to help repopulate the Wizarding world. I am pleased to inform you that you qualify in the age bracket and therefore have been chosen a suitor.**

 **I wish to inform you that all marriages must be made by next year; said date is 21st July 2001 exactly one year from now. Each marriage must be consummated within 24 hours of the marriage ceremony, albeit magical or muggle, or a mix of the both. The Ministry will be doing inspections to see how the couple are doing and if they were following the rules, if you do not abide by these rules your ward will be snapped and you will be exiled to the muggle world to live the rest of your life as a non-magical person.**

 **I am hereby pleased to inform you that your chosen spouse, suitor and soul mate is...**

 **Charlie Weasley**

 **To clarify the rules, here they are again**

 **Marriages must happen within a year, if it has not happened before 21st July 2001 you will be exiled**

 **All marriages are to be consummated within 24 hours of the bonding and/or marriage ceremony**

 **Couples must bear a child within 2 years of marriage, so for example if you marry December 1st 2000, you have until December 1st 2002 to bear a magical child. Any witch who has problems conceiving a child are required to appear at St. Mungo's for fertility treatment.**

 **Referring to point 3, each couple may bear as many children as pleased, but 2 are required to be magical**

 **Husbands are legally prohibited from phsycially, mentally and verbally harming their wives and families, this is punishable by law**

 **Wishing you all the success and happiness in your marriage**

 **Mathilda Hopkirk**

 **Marriage Law and Human Rights**

Hermione's mouth fell open in a state of shock, her whole world seemed to have stopped as the name kept appearing in her mind, Charlie Weasley, the second eldest Weasley brother, the dragon tamer as she came to know him,she would be his wife and he her husband. A warm feeling spread through her core, and she tried her hardest to ignore it.

"Hermione!" 7 voices snapped her back into reality, her eyes focused on Ginny

"Who is it?"

"It's...uh...CharlieWeasley" She spit out quickly, her face burning a crimson red as 8 pairs of eyes stared at her


	3. The Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter 2 -**

Eight pairs of eyes stared at her in a mixture of shock and confusion, Hermione felt her face go a darker shade of red if that was even possible, it wasn't that she didn't like Charlie, she did and in fact actually had a crush on him since they met at the Quidditch World Cup, but it was the fact that he was her ex-boyfriend's brother, and said ex-boyfriend was still one of her best friends, well things could get slightly awkward. She peered down the table and took in Ron's reaction; he actually seemed to be taking it quite well. His ears weren't turning red which meant he wasn't angry, well she hoped not.

"Charlie? Oh Hermione! This is great! You're officially going to be part of the family" Mrs Weasley cried in delight and pulled the young witch into her arms, Hermione coughed a bit at the sudden tightness but relaxed when she knew that Mrs Weasley meant it.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley, I can't wait to officially be a Weasley" Hermione smiled slightly

"Who would have thought – "Fred began

"That little Miss Bookworm here –"George continued

"Would marry the dragon tamer!" the twins finished in unison, grinning at each other before smirking at Hermione.

"Fate always has a plan" Ginny smiled, she was excited that her best friend would now legally be her sister, even if it wasn't blood, she was just happy to have another witch around the same age as her to be around. Being surrounded by boys all the time definitely took its toll.

"I wonder if Charlie knows yet" Mr Weasley mused for a moment before going back to his paper.

Later that day Hermione was relaxing in the living room with a large, red book perched in her lap, she had been there ever since she found out she would be marrying Charlie, reading just seemed to take her mind off of everything but right now her mind had drifted back to the second eldest Weasley and she had been staring at the same page for the last fifteen minutes, something which Harry and Ron, who were in the middle of a tense battle of wizards chess, picked up on,

"Hey Mione? You okay?" Harry asked, glancing away from the game momentarily to check on one of his best friends

"Hmm?" Hermione hummed

"He said, are you okay?" Ron answered

Hermione shook her head, clearing any thoughts and doubts she had been having and looked at her two best friends, just nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about this stupid marriage law, I'll pretty much be ruining Charlie's life. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to move back to England to get married to his youngest brothers best friend" She sighed and looked up into the sky, thoughts running through her mind. What would Charlie say when he get here? How would he feel at seeing his future wife for the first time in a couple of years. It was all beginning to beome too much. Hermione felt the tears prick at her eyes and not wanting the boys to see her crying she shut her book and ran inside to hide in the comfort of Ginny's room, she shut the door as quietly as she could and turned to her friend who was currently painting her toe nails. Ginny immediately sensing a Hermione Granger freak out, got straight up and hugged her tightly.

"Breath Hermione, breath. It's going to be okay" She whispered, Hermione nodded but felt the tears slide down her cheeks,

"I just don't want to ruin his life. His whole life has been over in Romania since he became a Dragon Tamer. He loves it over there, I don't want to take that away from him!"

"Hermione, you won't be ruining his life. Charlie has always wanted the family life, and you'll be giving him what he's always wanted, and besides I'm sure when you two eventually talk about this you will both come to the best decision for what you both want" Ginny soothed her friend, bringing over her to her bed and sitting her down.

"Now please wipe those tears"

Hermione giggled softly and wiped her eyes quickly, her moment of panic now over.

Next Day -

The Weasley's along with Hermione and Harry were in the kitchen having breakfast, most of them had now come to terms with the fact they would be getting married soon, some were still either apprehensive or nervous about marrying ttheir chosen partner but the majority of them were happy enough.

"I still can't believe all my babies are getting married" Mrs Weasley sniffled as she looked around the table

"Aw Mum! Just think of all the grandbabies you're going to get though, plus we'll always be your babies" George patted his Mum's shoulder, surprising the table with his outburst of love

"You going soft Georgie?" Fred smirked, earning a glare from his brother

"No, but I just think we've never really appreciated how much Mum has actually done of us. I mean we're all getting married and will soon have babies, our own house, jobc etc. Our whole teenage lives have flew by, we've been living in constant danger but now...Now we can finally move on and enjoy our lives"

The table fell silent, everyone thinking of how true George's words were, after everything with Voldermort they could all now live without fear, of course they still had nightmares and slight worry that he wasn't gone for good, but they knew he was. They saw him die in the courtyard of Hogwarts and not to be morbid, but it was one of the greatest moments of their life.

CRACK!

The sound of appariation echoed around the kitchen as everyone reacted instantly, wands all drawn they pointed them toward the door that led out to the garden. Arthur stood up and moved closer to the door, trying to protect everyone from view. The door opened and a hooded figure walked through the door.

"Damn wards" He muttered, Arthurt pursed his lips, It couldn't be could it?

The figure lowered his hood and the familiar sight of ginger hair was a welcoming sight, the group sighed in relief as they lowered their wands. Charlie turned round and grinned at his family.

"Hello again"

"CHARLIE!" Several chairs scraped across the ground before he was bombarded by a mass of bodies that tackled him to the ground. He laughed and gave each of his siblings a well needed hug before they allowed him back to his feet. He shrugged his coat off and placed it on the rack before his eyes scanned the crowd again. Finding the all too familiar brown hair, but this time instead of seeing bushy hair it was tame and straight, it hung just under her shoulders and he would be lieing if he didn't say that it took him aback. She looked completley different, instead of the young girl he was used to seeing she had matured beyond belief and turned into a beautiful woman.

Mrs. Weasley watched silently by the window as her second eldest son drank in the sight of Hermione, she smiled softly. This was one pairing she knew would defintely work out, and soon enough she couldn't help but ask the question she already knew the answer to.

"So Charlie, what's brought you back so early?" She smiled slightly

Charlie turned to his Mom for a moment and grinned, "Well Mother dearest, I am here to talk to my new fiance"


	4. Same Old Routine Gets Boring

**Chapter 3 -**

Hermione felt her cheeks flush as Charlie's eyes found hers, that and the fact he called her his fiance, Mrs. Weasley grinned between them both before ushering them both out into the garden so they could have some 'quality' time together as she put it, and that's how Hermione found herself not sitting at the small pond in the garden, watching the small fish as they swam happily and blissfully unaware of what was happening above them.

Charlie watched her with curiosity, she was handling the news quite well, he was just happy he hadn't been slapped, but then again this predicament wasn't either of their fault, it was the death eaters and Voldemort's. He slowly walked over to the pond and sat beside her quietly, letting the silence envelope them. It wasn't awkward or long, just...peaceful.

"Hermione?" She turned to look at him, it had been so long since she had last saw him, but he looked no different other than his hair had grown slightly again and he was more muscular than he had been before. Maybe he started working out again? Then again handling Dragons was a full time physical job, that was a work out on it's own.

"Yeah Charlie?" She sighed

"How are you?"

"I've been better" Hermione smiled slightly at him, "Just getting used to the news that I'm getting married extremely soon" Charlie nodded in agreement and ran a hand through his hair

"It's a scary thought but at least we know each other, could be worse...You could be engaged to Malfoy" he sniggered and Hermione swatted his arm

"Draco isn't that bad anymore honestly, after breaking away from his parents and getting rid of Pansy. He actually matured, and apologized to me, Ron and Harry about everything he done to us over the years. Was very...humbling for him"

"Wow" Charlie hummed "Sounds like he did do a lot of growing up since the battle then. Fair play to him, he's still not my cup of tea though" He shrugged and ran his hand through the grass, chuckling at the slight tickle it gave against his palm.

"It's only fair, he pretty much attacked the majority of your siblings, it's only right to hold a grudge against him"

"I know, the git was lucky you punched him and not me...I would have gave him more than a punch"

Hermione blushed and looked down at the grass, "You heard that story then"

Charlie laughed and nudged her with his shoulder, "Of course I did! Ron was pretty spellbound by it. He couldn't stop singing your praises for days after that"

"Only Ron" she laughed

"Yeah" Charlie agreed and let the silence envelope them for a bit until he couldn't take it anymore. "Hermione, I just want you to know that this marriage law has only speeded the process up but I was eventually going to move back, but I've pretty much fully moved back as of today and I really want to get to know you more"

Hermione glanced at Charlie, trying to analyse whether he was telling the truth or not, he was a Weasley, he could be trusted. She didn't know why she was so afraid, she knew Charlie...Well a little. And he was a genuine, kind and caring guy who would definitely take care of her. She nodded slowly and smiled a little, "I would like that Charlie, let's get to know each other while organizing our wedding" She giggled

—-

The couple walked back inside to find that pretty much everyone had left the kitchen, they could hear laughter coming from the living room and after Mrs Weasley refusing Hermione's persistent attempts to try help her clean the kitchen, so when they walked into the living room they weren't surprised to find Harry and Ron engrossed in a game of Wizard's chess as Ginny watched on while Fred and George were hidden in the corner probably working on one of their schemes.

"And we're back into the same routine" She sighed softly, Charlie raised an eyebrow at her

"What do you mean?"

"I just mean this is what happens every day, Ron and Harry play chess while Ginny watches and then the twins are in the corner planning something. It's just the same routine, nothing has changed" She shrugged and went to her favorite spot on the sofa and picked up her book she was reading the night before.

"And I take it now is the part where you begin reading again and not stopping until you finished" Charlie teased, feeling his insides warm as he saw the blush creep on her face

"Exactly" she smiled and Charlie grinned

"Well Mione, today is your lucky day. For I, your knight in shining Armour, am here to relieve you from your boredom and venture into the world of a little thing I like to call...Fun" he smirked, grabbed the book from her hand and pulled her hand so she was standing again.

"Charlie Weasley, just what are you doing?" She quipped, he just smirked and shook his head.

"I will be right back m'dear" He winked and ran upstairs, Hermione rolled her eyes and jumped as Ron swore loudly

"Honestly Ron, it's just a game" She shook her head and took residence up in her seat by the window

"It's more than a game Mione...It's a way of life" Ron sighed and looked at his friend, "I mean getting the chance to destroy someone without harm is actually quite a good way in releasing anger...Why do you think I enjoy it so much" He chuckled and glanced back at the board, contemplating his next move

"Fair enough" She agreed and opened her book, "Still doesn't explain why you have the emotional range of a teaspoon" She murmured softly, making Ron look up

"What was that?" He raised an eyebrow

"What? Oh nothing, just muttering about losing my page again" Hermione smiled sweetly, too sweetly. Ron nodded slowly before looking back at the was just about to get back into her reading pattern when loud footsteps coming downstairs alerted her that there was going to be either trouble or noise, she sighed and tucked her book away, smiling as Charlie came back into the room followed by Bill.

"Righto young ones, tidy away your games or projects. Us older folk have a little game we'd like to play with you" Charlie grinned and waited patiently as everyone put their respective things away before joining them in a circle, Hermione watched Charlie eagerly, noticing the mischievous glint in his eye.

"We are going to have ourselves a little game of Hide and Seek" Bill grinned, some of the group (mainly Ron and Ginny) groaning while others (mainly Fred and George) yelled in delight.

"What age we? 6?" Ginny huffed

"For this time, yes we are" Charlie chuckled, glancing at Hermione who had an impish grin on her face, her eyes met his and he blushed slightly as he realized he had been caught staring. A nudge in the ribs from Bill snapping him out of his thoughts and he smirked at his older brother

"Anyway, the rules are that we go anywhere in the house apart from Mum and Dad's room...Last time Fred and George went in there well lets just say they didn't enjoy how long it took them to redecorate" The group sniggered, causing Fred and George to roll their eyes

"And no wands, this is a muggle game so we're going to play it like muggles. So the person whose on it will stay in the living room with their eyes closed and count to 60 while everyone goes and hides, last person to get caught is on it, got it?" The group nodded in agreement."Right, who would like to go first?" Bill asked, glancing around the room at his siblings, Harry and Hermione, no one raised their hand for a moment or two so Bill opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Hermione raising her hand

"I'll be it" She smiled gently, the group nodding happily

"Great! Alright Hermione close your eyes and start counting" She nodded and closed her eyes, letting everyone run away to find their hiding places and soon enough she was left in silence, something which wasn't too familiar in the Burrow, she sighed and hummed softly to pass the 60 seconds or so, once she knew they were up she opened her eyes and smirked.

"Ready or not here I come!" She yelled, pausing to think who would be the easiest person to find first, she glanced at the kitchen door and smirked, he was too easy. Hermione pushed the door open gently and snuck in, making sure not to give away her presences just yet, she listened closely to try and hear something, it was only a moment or so before she heard whispering in the cupboard.

"Best game ever" Ron smirked and snuck one of his Mum's homemade biscuits out of the tin, shoving it into his mouth while listening out for any signs of incoming.

Hermione rolled her eyes, So predictable, creeping up towards the pantry door she gave it a moment or two before pulling the door open and shouting Boo in Ron's face.

"Ahhh!" Ron screamed in surprise and dropped the tin in his hands, placing a hand over his heart he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Bloody hell Hermione" she giggled and took note of the deer-caught-in-headlights look he head

"How'd you catch me so fast anyway?" He muttered

"Really? You have to ask me that?" Hermione shook her head and left the kitchen, Ron following behind her to only go into the living room and amuse himself until everyone else was caught. Hermione walked upstairs to the first floor and glanced around, there was Molly and Arthur's room which was off limits so of course no one was there, then there was the bathroom which was a bit too obvious but then again some of the most obvious places are the best to hide in, then there was Percy's room along with Charlie's old one, narrowing her eyes slightly she went for Charlie's old room, of course she knew he wasn't going to be there but playing a game of Hide and Seek with the Weasley's only meant one thing...Some of them were not going to pass up the chance to find anything incriminating the other rooms.

She pushed the door open gently and glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary she took a step in, taking in the bright orange walls and all the Qudditch posters that were starting to slightly peel, she smiled, this room just screamed Charlie Weasley, she ran her finger along the oak wood desk and sighed.

THUMP

Hermione jumped, turning to glance at the wardrobe in surprise, she took a few steps towards it before pulling the doors open and smirking at Ginny who was now in a crumpled heap at the bottom.

"Alright there Gin?"

"Oh shush" She pouted and stood up, dusting off her clothes before pulling Harry from behind her, making Hermione raise her eyebrows

"How did you two fit in there?" She smirked at the bright pink tinge in Ginny's cheeks

"You don't want to know" Harry muttered, slightly embarrassed at being caught by his best friend

"Ew" Hermione cringed, "Ron's downstairs I caught him in the pantry" She grinned and skipped out the door, followed by Ginny and Harry

"Typical Ron, wherever you find the food you'll find him" Ginny sniggered, bouncing down the steps with Harry

It was another few minutes until Hermione caught someone else, this time it was Fred and George in Ginny's room upstairs, they had thought it was a good idea to hide behind the curtains, not realising that their feet were hanging out at the end, for having a house so big you would think they could manage to find better hiding places, but Hermione knew that since this was the first round, everyone was willing to be caught until the next few rounds, making it harder and harder on the person who was it. Although Fred's parting words didn't give her much hope at winning the first round;

"Good luck finding Bill and Charlie, Mione! Those two always go off with each other and can never be found until the person on it gives up, they've been the champs for ages" Fred chuckled

Hermione frowned as she deemed the second floor free, she walked up the 3rd floor landing and glanced about. Where would two of the smartest Weasley men hide? Doubt it would be in a bedroom, they wouldn't want it that easy if what Fred said was true. Not in a bathroom either and it was unlikely that they would want to hide in the attic with a ghoul. It was only until Hermione ruled out those places that she knew where they were hiding, she smirked and found the all too familiar portrait by Ron's room, glancing to both sides she made sure no one was watching before pulling it back and walking through the secret door which lead to another hallway, the loud chuckles confirming her thoughts.

"No way is she going to find us here!" Bill grinned, glancing out the window as he saw Ginny and Harry taking a walk by the pond, telling him that the game was still going

"I don't know Bill, you have to give Hermione more credit. She is the brightest witch of her age" Charlie sighed, stretching his feet out on the sofa

"I'll give her credit when credit is due" He smiled

"Well, that credit is due now so I'm happy to take it" Hermione smirked, leaning against the doorway and taking pride in scaring the two older Weasley's out of their skin

"Jesus Hermione! Don't sneak up on us like that" Bill groaned, trying to calm his racing heart

"How'd you find us?" Charlie grinned

"Now, now. I'm not going to give away my trademark secrets" Hermione smirked, winking at Charlie making him blush again, Bill noticed and laughed

"Alright you two! Stop your flirting and let's go play the second round!


	5. Getting To Know You

The game went on for what seemed like hours, none of the young adults really wanting to let go of the innocent fun they were having before bed, their game only stopped when Mrs Weasley came home and, being the concerned mother that she was, instructed them to get to bed because they all had 'early morning starts'. What she meant by that no one knew but they didn't disagree. No one dared to disobey Mrs Weasley. So now Hermione was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling with the thought of marrying Charlie as clear as day in her head, she had managed to forget about her upcoming nuptials for those few fun hours. She was happy to be marrying someone like Charlie, he was a great person, he knew how to have fun but he also knew when to be serious, he loved his family and he was easy on the eyes too. She just wished they knew each other more and actually had a relationship before this whole Marriage law was announced.

She sighed and shrugged her bed covers off, slipping her feet into her slippers and stood up, glancing at Ginny's bed which was opposite to hers, making sure she was still asleep before slipping out the door. She walked downstairs and headed for the kitchen when she found the light already on, she frowned and glanced at the newly installed clock, it was 2am, who would still be up at this time? She slowly pushed the door open and found none other than her fiance sitting at the table with a cup on front of him. He glanced up at the sound of the door creaking open and smiled as he saw Hermione peering in.

"Hermione! Come on in, you don't have to wait outside. I don't bite" Charlie chuckled, grinning as he saw the blush on her cheeks as she came into the light

"Sorry, I just didn't expect anyone else to be up at this time" She shrugged and slid into the seat opposite his.

"It's fine, I'm usually up later than everyone else but tonight I can't sleep. No idea why though, it's like my mind won't stop" he sighed

Hermione laughed softly, "Funny, I have the same problem" He eyed her curiously, a teasing smile on his lips

"You do huh?"

"Yeah" Hermione raised an eyebrow

"What's keeping you up?" He asked

Hermione sighed, may aswell be honest with him, he was her future husband after all. "I'm just nervous...and excited. But more nervous about this whole marriage law, don't get me wrong I'm really happy I'm marrying someone I know and someone from the Weasley family, it's just a scary thought that this major life event is going to happen and I don't really know my husband-to-be" She took a deep breath as she finished her small speech, taking a glance at Charlie to try gauge his reaction. But it seemed he had his poker face because he was unreadable. They sat in silence for a few moments before he smiled.

"Is that all?" Charlie chuckled

"What?" She raised an eyebrow

"If not really knowing me was bugging you Hermione you could have just said. We'll have to sort that out right away"

"Really?"

Charlie nodded, smiling genuinely at her. "Really, really. I'd love to get to know my fiance more too. So how about tomorrow, or rather today, we go to Hogsmeade, go to the Three broomsticks and get to know each other a little bit more over a butterbeer?"

Hermione smiled, a true smile this time, it seemed like her worries were all beginning to melt away now that she told Charlie her feelings. "That sounds wonderful Charlie, I'd like that"

Charlie grinned, "I'm glad. Now...I think it's time for both of us to hit the hay, I think I need my beauty sleep if I'm going to going on a date with my bride tomorrow" He winked at her, grinning as he saw the blush rise on her cheeks. Hermione laughed softly before standing up from the table and walking to the door, only to turn back round and smile at him. "Goodnight Charlie" With that Hermione left the kitchen and crept back up the stairs and into Ginny's room, glad to see that her roommate was still fast asleep.

Charlie sighed happily, staring at the now empty doorway. "Goodnight Hermione"

The next day Hermione awoke to a rather loud bang followed by a lot of shouting from Mrs Weasley, she stretched and sat up before the events of last night came back to her, a soft smile on her face. She was going on her first official date with Charlie and she couldn't wait. sure they were doing things backwards but if they were truly soulmates like the Ministry said they were, well she didn't mind doing things backwards.

The door flew open and Hermione jumped, glancing up to find Ginny standing there, staring at her. "What has you so happy Mione?"

"What? Nothing" Hermione shook her head, "You must be seeing things" She chuckled, tying her unruly hair up into a tight bun.

"Uh huh" Ginny narrowed her eyes, watching her best friend move around the room in quite a hurry. "What has you rushing for? Going somewhere?"

Hermione paused, glancing at Ginny, her own eyes narrowing this time. Ginny smirked back, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her friend before taking a seat on her bed. "How did you know?"

"You honestly thought I was sleeping Hermione? You know when I'm asleep I snore, was I snoring at all last night?"

Hermione frowned, thinking about it now she didn't hear Ginny snroe at all last night. "No, you weren't"

"There's your answer" Ginny grinned, "Now, where are you going?"

Hermione sighed, knowing there was no way she was going to get out of telling Ginny, "I'm going to Hogsmeade with Charlie, we're going to the Three Broomsticks to get to know each other"

"Awww, Hermione and her fiance are getting to know one another" Ginny held a hand over her heart and pretended to wipe away a fake tear from her eye. "My little girl is growing up"

Hermione rolled her eyes and threw her pillow at Ginny, "Oh shush, we're only getting to know each other Ginny, it's not like we're in love"

"Yet"

Hermione cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

"You're not in love...yet. I mean come on Hermione, it was obvious when you first met Charlie at the Qudditch World Cup that you two had a slight crush on one another. But you were underage and Charlie would have felt like a dirty old man, but now...You're legal and you've matured into a bright, gorgeous young woman. Anyone can see that when Charlie takes one look at you, he's in awe. He's smitten" Ginny grinned, giggling softly as she saw the blush on Hermione's cheeks. "And as for you, when Charlie walked through that door, you couldn't take your eyes off of him. Even sneaking a few glances at his muscular arms" She laughed, ignoring Hermione's glare. "The Ministry have obviously picked the right couples, it's only a matter of time before you and Charlie fall in love and live happily ever after"

Hermione chewed her lip, Ginny was right...Well she didn't know if she was right about how Charlie felt but she did have a crush on him. But she thought of it more of an infatuation with her husband-to-be, but could it really become more than that?


	6. First Date

**Chapter 6 - First Date**

Hermione stared at herself in the mirror for what seemed like the millionth time, chewing on her bottom lip, she knew they were only going to the Three Broomsticks but she still wanted to look good for him. The outfit she was in at the minute was a pair of black skinny jeans with a plain white vest top, black and yellow kimono jacket and a pair of black pumps. She didn't know whether she was too under dressed or over dressed.

"Ginny?" She called out

"Yeah Mione?" Ginny knocked softly on the door, opening it slowly when she didn't hear a response. She walked inside,glancing around the room that was now littered with clothes. Ginny raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"What happened in here?"

Hermione sighed in frustration, "I'm trying to pick clothes for my date with Charlie but I don't know what to wear. Everything I have seems to be either dressy or casual. No in between, this one I have on now was the best mix I could find" She turned round to Ginny, showing off her outfit.

Ginny nodded in appreciation,"That's nice Mione! Stop over thinking it so much, this is Charlie and it's only the Three Broomsticks. You are going to have a good time, it doesn't matter what you wear okay?" She smiled at her friend and hugged her tightly. Hermione sighed and nodded, Ginny was right, she was trying too hard and getting herself worked up about nothing. It was just for a casual lunch in the Three Broomsticks with Charlie. Nothing scary about that.

"I'll let you finish off, I'm sure Charlie will be expecting you downstairs any minute" And with a wink, Ginny left Hermione to herself. She turned back to the mirror and cocked her head to the side, glancing at the outfit again before sighing.

"This will have to do"

Hermione put on some lip gloss before grabbing her black purse and going downstairs, as she passed the kitchen she peeked in to see Mrs Weasley along with Fred and George and a big stack of papers, she raised her eyebrow until she heard the words 'double wedding' being muttered by Mrs Weasley, realization clicked on and she left the doorway before being noticed. She didn't want to intrude on any wedding plans, and if Fred and George were planning on a double wedding well then, Mrs Weasley had her work cut out for her, god knows what the twins wanted.

She walked into the living room, her heart hammering as she realized that Charlie might be waiting for her already, but as she glanced around and saw that it was empty a feeling of disappointment settled over her. She shrugged and sat down in her favorite spot, pulling out a book to read to pass the time, and to also stop her from glancing at the clock every five minutes.

As she began to get into her book a soft knock on the door interrupted her, she glared at the door before realizing that no one else probably heard it, she tucked her book away before getting up to answer it. Pulling it open to be delightfully surprised by none other than Charlie standing there, with a bouquet of flowers in hand. She smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Charlie? What are you doing?"

Charlie gave her a lazy grin as he handed her the flowers, "Why, I'm picking you up for our first date Miss Granger. A gentleman always picks the lady up"

Hermione blushed, dipping her head to smell the roses. She grinned and looked back up at Charlie. "These are wonderful Charlie, let me just put them in some water and then we can leave"

He nodded and stepped into his own house, watching the younger witch quickly conjure up a vase with some water. With one last smell of the flowers she turned back to him and grinned, "Shall we go now?"

"Right this way m'lady" Charlie grinned and offered her his arm, which she took more than willingly.

They stepped out of the house into the warm, summer air, Hermione smiled as they took the longer route to the apparition point, they ended up walking through a meadow filled with different types of flowers, and with the sun shining down. It was magnificent. Out of the corner of his eye Charlie watched her, noticing how the sparkle in her eye grew every time she spotted a new type of flower, he smiled to himself. So far so good, he just hoped he could keep it up.

They got to the Three Broomsticks shortly after 1pm, as they walked through the door they reveled in the cooler air, Madame Rosmerta greeted them from behind the bar before serving her customers. Charlie grinned and tugged Hermione towards the back. "Charlie? Where are we going?"

He chuckled as they weaved through various tables,"You'll see. I thought I'd surprise you again"

Hermione smiled to herself, this was turning out to be a great date, Charlie sure knew how to please. After weaving through tables and narrowly missing a hovering bowl of pea soup Charlie brought them to their destination. He pushed the back door of the pub open to reveal a small garden, with a picnic set up right in the center. Hermione felt her mouth drop open in surprise as she walked through the door.

"Charlie...You didn't have to go through all of this trouble."

"Trouble?" Charlie laughed and shook his head, wrapping an arm around her waist, "This was no trouble. I wanted to do something amazing for my fiance. I hope you like it Mione"

Hermione turned to look at him, pausing for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck, "Like it? I bloody love it Charlie! No one has ever done anything like this for me before" She giggled, before realizing what she had done, she pulled away quickly and felt her cheeks flush bright red. "S-Sorry Charlie" She whispered

Charlie just chuckled, his ears tinging red in embarrassment and happiness, "No need to apologize Mione, I know I'm irresistible" He smirked and winked at her

Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed him playfully as they sat down on the blanket, "You Weasley men. You're all incorrigible"

"Mione, I love it when you speak intellectually to me" She blushed again, something she would probably be doing throughout the date.

"So wait! You punched Malfoy?!" Charlie snorted, he couldn't believe what he was hearing! Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, punching someone!

Hermione nodded and smirked, "He deserved it! He was being a foul git, I mean who hides behind a stone wall and tries to capture the beheading of a poor, innocent hippogriff? Just because he was too big for his boots and got what was coming to him. Thankfully Buckbeak is still alive and well now"

Charlie wiped his eyes and grinned, "You really do amaze me Hermione"Wh

Hermione grinned, taking a sip of her apple cider before pursing her lips at Charlie, a teasing glint in her eye. "What do you want to know Miss Granger?" He teased playfully

"What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you during Hogwarts?" She smiled

"You like to ask the tough questions don't you" Charlie smiled before pursing his lips, he could hardly remember his time at Hogwarts, it seemed to pass by in a flash.

"I got one!" He spoke eventually. Hermione leaned forward, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, staring at him in anticipation.

"When I was in my 5th year, I had this huge crush on a girl from the Qudditch team, you called her Evangeline. Well one night, we were having a party in the common room, it was someone's birthday I can't really remember whose. Anyway, there we were just enjoying the party and Evangeline comes swaying in, all the eyes go to her. Every male student of Gryffindor fancied her but she had turned most of them down. So I thought I would try my luck"

"Oh no" Hermione giggled

"Oh no is right my dear" Charlie laughed, running a hand through his hair, "I grabbed two butterbeers from the drinks table and began making my way over to her. What I didn't notice though was that Bill had been watching me, he knew I had this massive crush on her and he teased me relentlessly about. Anyway, he was watching me and thought he'd try to be funny. He pretty much pulled a Fred and George" Charlie blushed, the memory fully coming back to him. "He used his wand to conjure up a thin line of rope, so as I was walking I didn't notice it, and tripped on it. Then it felt like time had stopped, the two butterbeers went flying from my hand and straight on to Evangeline. She was covered from head to toe in the stuff!"

Hermione covered her mouth as she burst into a fit of laughter, she could just imagine that happening to Charlie, Bill had told her before that he had always loved to pull pranks on him when they were at school. That's how Fred and George learned all their tricks.

"Wait, wait!" Charlie sniggered, "That wasn't the most embarrassing part. I tripped over this rope, and the drinks went over her, but as I put my hands out to break my fall I didn't actually realize just how close I was to her, so as I put my hands out I fell forward and they landed on her boobs"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, she was laughing so hard that her ribs were beginning to hurt and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "C-Charlie...Oh my...That must have been so embarrasing!" She laughed

Charlie nodded, laughing himself as he thought back to it, "McGonagall walked in at that point to ask what all the noise was about and just saw me with my hands on Evangeline's boobs. She gave me detention for a walk for 'public indecency'" He quoted seriously, glancing at Hermione before they both broke out into uncontrollable laughter.

After a few minutes Hermione lay down on the blanket as she took deep breaths to calm herself down, "That was hilarious Charlie, I can actually picture that happening"

Charlie chuckled, laying down beside her and grinning, "Wasn't one of my finest moments but it was bloody hilarious. I think Bill has photos of it somewhere" He sniggered, stretching out on the blanket and staring up at the now fading sun, he didn't actually realize how long they had been there for, he just knew he was having a great time and didn't want it to end.

"What was one of your embarrassing moment then? Can't leave a man waiting you know"

Hermione rolled her eyes and nudged him teasingly, her lips jutting out thoughtfully. "Probably when I turned myself into a cat"

Charlie blinked, did she say that right? She turned herself into a cat? He turned his head to look at her in confusion, "You turned yourself into a cat? Are you an animagus?"

Hermione laughed softly, shaking her head. "No, I suppose Ron never really told you about the Chamber of Secrets since you were still in Romania. Well anyway, we thought Malfoy was the heir of Slytherin" Charlie sniggered, covering it up with a cough as Hermione gave him a sly look. "We were struggling for leads so when we thought of this, we thought it would be best to get into the Slytherin common room and try to interrogate him. The only way I could think of was using polyjuice potion"

"Polyjuice potion! That's extremely-"

"Dangerous, I know Charlie" he smiled warmly at him, "We gathered the ingredients and went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to brew it, took about a month to make it but we got there in the end"

Charlie's eyes widened, "Hold up one second. You mean to tell me that at the age of 12 you brewed polyjuice potion! And it was successful!" Hermione nodded and smiled at him, he shook his head in amazement.

"That is impressive Mione, you really are the brightest witch of your age aren't you?"

Hermione shrugged before sighing, "The boys got Crabbe and Goyle's hair fine, I put a simple sleeping draught in buns and they ate them. I mean, who would even think of eating two random buns that they found floating in the hallway" She giggled, "Anyway, they got their hair fine. The hair I got, well I thought it was from a Slytherin girl called Millicent, turns out it wasn't.

"This isn't going where I think it's going is it?"

"It is. The hair on her robes was from a cat Charlie" Hermione looked at him, seeing his expression change from disbelief to shock

"But Mione! That potion isn't meant for animal transformations"

She nodded, "I know Charlie. I was so embarrassed. I didn't want the boys to see me so they went on without me, but when they came back Moaning Myrtle was there and she made them open the door. I wanted to cry, I was so embarrassed. I felt like I had failed, I was the smart one of the group and I couldn't even get a simple hair to make it right"

Charlie shook his head and took one of Hermione's hands in his, "Blimey Hermione, you didn't fail. So what you got a cat hair instead of the girls? I'm sure it was a painful transformation back, but you brewed a successful polyjuice potion at the age of 12. That's really impressive. It usually takes a wizard years of learning to make that"

"So they say" Hermione laughed softly

The pair fell into silence as they watched the sun set, Hermione definitely felt more at ease now that she and Charlie took the time to get to know each other. As she took another glance at him she felt something inside of her stir, she wasn't sure what it was. But she knew now after today that everything was going to be alright.


	7. The Weddings Begin - Part 1

**Chapter 7 - The Weddings Begin**

September seemed to roll around all too soon and suddenly, the first of many weddings were beginning, first up the youngest of the Weasley clan and the only Weasley girl, Ginny. As Hermione leaned against the door frame and watched the chaos reign in the kitchen she couldn't help but smile as she watched her girl best friend preparing for her wedding, it had been a stressful 3 months since the Ministry of Magic announced the new Wizarding Law, but everyone had seemed to be coming round to the idea but Hermione still had her doubts, sure her and Charlie were getting along great, they had so much in common and every day she was allowing herself to open up to him more and more, she's found herself confiding in him, telling him her worries and doubts and every time Charlie would be so supportive. He would offer her calming words of wisdom and before she knew she was laughing at one of his dragon jokes, he truly was amazing and she could see why he had always been the eligible bachelor; he was funny, sweet and charming, not to mention easy on the eyes.

But she was Hermione Granger, the buck toothed, frizzy haired girl that everyone teased and made fun of. Sure she fixed her teeth after that 'incident' and Ginny had helped her eventually tame her wild locks, but she just couldn't see why anyone would find her attractive to date let alone marry.

"Hermione, dear. Are you okay?" Hermione jumped as Mrs Weasley appeared before her eyes

"Oh yes...Yes Mrs Weasley, I was just reminiscing" She smiled slightly, hoping her voice didn't sound too shaky. Mrs Weasley stared at her for a moment before nodding and sighing.

"I've been doing that myself too dear, it's hard to believe that our little girl is all grown up and about to get married. I mean I'm sure it was bound to happen sooner or later but I would rather have it late than sooner, I just don't want her growing up so soon" Mrs Weasley sniffled before conjuring up a handkerchief and dabbing her eyes with it.

"She's always going to be your little girl Mrs. Weasley, no matter how old she'll always be that little 11 year old who loved to get up to mischief with her older brothers"

Mrs Weasley let out a watery chuckle and smiled at Hermione, "You really do know how to cheer someone up Hermione, my Charlie is lucky to have you" She patted her cheek before rushing off to make sure everything was on schedule.

Hermione felt her cheeks burning up at Mrs Weasley's compliment, she was glad she would have such an amazing mother-in-law, in fact she was extremely happy to have such an amazing family as in laws. She loved every one in the house and couldn't want to be a part of the family.

"Blushing already? I thought that was my job" Hermione jumped as she felt hot air tickling the back of her neck, she spun round to find a grinning half-dressed Charlie behind her, she let her eyes wander down for a moment, gulping in delight at what she saw. All those years of chasing Dragons had certainly paid off, Charlie had a very defined 6 pack and his arms were rippled with muscles that became even more defined when flexed. Hermione felt her heart beginning to race the longer she stared. Suddenly a loud laugh broke her out of her daydream and her eyes snapped up to find Charlie laughing.

"What's so funny?"

Charlie looked down at her, a grin on his face, "Nothing...Except for the fact I called your name 3 times and you didn't answer because you were too busy staring at my chest" He laughed

Hermione felt her face flush and knew she must have looked like a tomato, she was so embarrassed! It would only be her to get caught gawking at her fiancé's chest like she had never seen someone topless before. "Oh...I...uh...Sorry!" She squeaked before spinning back round, checking the kitchen for a quick get away and tried to dart off, but Charlie sensing her embarrassment grab her hand gently and turned her back to face him.

"Hermione?" He asked softly, but her eyes stayed rooted to the ground

"Hermione, please look at me" He whispered, it was silent for a few moments before Hermione slowly raised her eyes to look at him

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you, I was only joking. I actually find it quite cute that you like to stare" He smiled at her, giving her a sly wink.

"The more you do that the more my face stays red!" She pouted, causing Charlie to laugh again

"I'll try not to flirt with my beautiful fiancé anymore, is that okay?"

Hermione blinked, "Well...I didn't say you couldn't flirt...I...just..." She paused, struggling to find her words

"My oh my, is the brightest witch of her age struggling to find words? I'm in shock!" Charlie fake gasped, a grin on his face as Hermione playfully swatted at his arm before smiling herself.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you Weasley men, you're so incorrigible" She laughed

"You know, one day Mione you'll have to teach me what that means" He grinned, they stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"What is going on here?!" Mrs Weasley burst into the door frame again, her hair frizzy and a look of pure, utter stress on her face. "Charlie Weasley go get yourself dressed at once! You're sister's wedding is in less than an hour and you're still only half dressed. And while you're at it, check in on Fred and George they've been awfully too quiet for too long"

Charlie nodded straight away, no one dared refused his mother, he gave Hermione a quick peek on the cheek before dashing up the stairs. Mrs. Weasley then turned to Hermione with a more relaxed smile on her face, "Dear, Ginny is asking for you. She's up in her room"

"Thank you Mrs Weasley" Hermione smiled before running up the stairs herself, glad to get out of the way of everyone. She knocked on Ginny's door softly.

"Ginny it's me"

"Come in Mione! But make sure Seamus doesn't see anything!"

Hermione chuckled to herself before sliding into the room and closing the door quickly, she turned to find Ginny in her dress, with hair and make up done too perfection. Hermione gasped and covered her mouth as tears came to her eyes.

"Mione? What's wrong" Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Is the dress okay? Does it not look nice? Merlin I knew I should have picked that other one" She groaned

"No, no Ginny! Don't panic, everything is fine" Hermione reassured her with a smile, "It's just...You look absolutely breathtaking"

Ginny felt relief flood her body and a smile came back to her face, "You really think so? I thought I would go for a traditional muggle gown since Seamus is half muggle. I thought it would be nice to incorporate both sides of the wedding"

"Of course I think so! You're the most beautiful bride I've ever saw! Seamus is going to love it when he sees you" Hermione grinned and gave her a light hug, not wanting to mess anything up. Ginny grinned at her best friend, she knew she could always count on Hermione no matter what. But behind Hermione's smile Ginny could see there was something wrong.

"Mione, what's wrong? And don't lie to me, I can sense everything" Ginny smiled

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully, Ginny always did know when something was wrong with her, you could never hide anything from her. She sighed and decided to go for the truth, "It's just...You know how I was in first year? Frizzy hair, buckteeth, no one wanted to be my friend etc. Well, some people still see me that way. What if, before the wedding Charlie finally realizes what everyone has been talking about? What if he still sees me that way and is just pretending to flirt with me? What if..." Ginny cut her off

"Hermione Jane Granger, you need to stop worrying over nothing! One, hardly anyone thinks of you as that girl any more, secondly Charlie would never do such a thing. Everyone can tell that he genuinely likes you. You're the first girl that's actually been able to keep up with Charlie, scratch that Charlie is keeping up with you. He's finally happy to be with someone who he can have conversations on a silly level with as well as an intellectual level. You're his dream girl Mione"

Hermione felt her face flush, people had got to stop doing that to her! Mainly Charlie. But she had to admit, she did like it when Charlie made her blush. "You really think so Gin?"

"Think so? I know so!" Ginny grinned, "Between you and me, Charlie has been confiding in me. He knows I'm the only one who will keep quiet about what he tells me. This is an exception though, so don't tell him I told you otherwise he'll never talk to me about anything again" Hermione nodded.

"You need to stop worrying about everything and just go with the flow, you and Charlie make an amazing couple...And you's will make exceptionally cute and intellectual babies" She winked

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped, her face was now bright red, she was sure of it


	8. The Weddings Begin - Part 2

**Chapter 8 -**

Hermione sighed happily as she sipped on a flute of champagne, she watched as all her friends and soon-to-be family mingled with each other, it had been a perfect day so far and she knew that it would stay that way. Seamus and Ginny got married without a hitch, the wedding having both elements of the Muggle and Wizard traditions, Ginny had looked absolutely stunning in her dress and Seamus looked handsome in his tux, everyone could see that they would be in love in no time, they were quite suited for each other.

Charlie watched Hermione from across the dance floor, not trying to be creepy but he just wanted to admire his fiancé, she was definitely no longer the young, bushy haired witch he had first met during the Quidditch World Cup, but she had surely blossomed into a smart, young women. His heart fluttered at the thought of being the lucky man in her life. As the song changed he gracefully crossed the dance floor so he was now standing on front of Hermione, chuckling as she jumped back in surprise. He outstretched his hand to her and smiled, "Care for a dance?"

Hermione giggled, "Of course Mr Weasley" She placed her now empty glass down and slipped her hand into his, gasping as he pulled her quickly to his chest, her eyes now gazing at the slight tuft of chest hair that was noticeable through the opened top button of his shirt.

"Have you been having a wonderful day Mione?" Charlie asked quietly

Hermione blinked, her heart thudding at the thought that he had caught her staring at his chest, but as she studied his gaze and the playful smile that graced his face she realised he hadn't noticed a thing. "I have been having a great day Charlie, I'm glad everything went well considering the last wedding we went too..." she trailed off, some memories of the war flooding back, she didn't meant to bring it up but she was sure that everyone here were having slight flashbacks to what happened at Fleur and Bill's wedding. "Sorry, I didn't meant to bring it up" she murmured quietly, not quite sure on how Charlie would react.

Charlie sucked in a deep breath at the mere mention of the war, but not for himself, for Hermione, he didn't know the full story of what happened on their adventures but he knew well enough that Hermione had many battle wounds, with some he was sure had not healed. "It's okay Mione, it's apart of us, we are allowed to talk about it. What happened that day at Bill and Fleur's wedding was awful, but the happy memories outweigh the sad and angry. You have to try remember that. At least now we know for sure and for certain that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is dead and gone for good"

She allowed her eyes to look back up at him, surprised but not all too surprised at his reaction, she smiled gently. "You always have a way with words Charlie, thank you" She rested her head on his chest as they continued to dance together unaware that Arthur and Molly were watching them from a nearby table. Molly smiled as she finally saw how happy and content her second eldest son looked, "I know it wasn't the way I wanted any of this to happen Arthur but I am glad that Hermione and Charlie were matched together. They both look so happy"

Arthur nodded, watching the young couple with a loving smile on his face, "This is the happiest I've seen Charlie in a while, even when he was with his dragons he was never this happy. I'm sure Hermione will be able to give Charlie everything he wants in life, they both will"

The night drew to a close and it wasn't long before the marquee was tidied and put away for the next wedding. As everyone who wasn't staying at the Burrow began to file out of the garden and off home Hermione stood upon one of the taller of hills and gazed up at the stars, tears filling her eyes as she thought of all the countless Order members, students, parents and teachers that had been lost in Battle and weren't able to make it to any of the weddings. Some more than others stood out, her heart ached for them to be here but she knew their sacrifice was not in vain, thanks to them and their valiant efforts to save the Wizarding world, they succeeded and have allowed the generations yet to come to live in peace and harmony. Hermione slipped off her shoes and gently sat down upon the hill, enjoying the feeling of the grass in between her toes.

Harry sighed in relief as he shut the gate which lead to the Burrow as the final party members left, it had been a long night and he couldn't wait to get into bed and sleep, "One wedding down, a ton to go" He yawned and began heading back to the house when a figure sitting on the hill caught his eyes, he squinted slightly to try improve his vision but unfortunately the few, or should he say many, glasses of fire whiskey that he had at the wedding had begun to effect his vision. He stumbled slightly up to the top of hill and plonked himself down beside the unknown figure, though when the moon hit her face he recognized the brown, slightly bushy hair anywhere. "You okay Mione?"

"I'm fine" She sighed, turning her head to look at her friend and his now disheveled appearance, she laughed and grinned at Harry. "Why Harry, I think you're a bit drunk"

Harry rolled his eyes but chuckled, "I am indeed, Mione, I am indeed. It's a wedding, the first of many! So why not have a few glasses of fire whiskey and party the night away with friends"

"I'm glad you had fun tonight Harry, it was a lovely wedding and Ginny looked amazing" Hermione sighed happily, glad that her best friend and soon to be sister-in-law finally had a chance at her own happiness.

"Ginny looked beautiful, she really did and Seamus is one lucky guy"

Hermione looked at Harry again, unsure whether it was appropriate or not to ask him such a question but the curious side in her got the best of her and she found herself blurting out the question before her reasonable voice could stop her. "Are you not upset that it wasn't you that was matched as her soulmate?"

Silence.

Hermione felt the awkward tension began to rise and she felt her face began to grow hotter and hotter as she knew she had made a mistake in asking that question. "Harry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that question..." She trailed off, ashamed of herself but Harry patted her hand and smiled a little.

"It's okay Hermione, honestly. When we first opened the envelopes and Ginny said she had been matched with Seamus I did feel a little bit of jealously, and it was understandable that I would. Ginny and I's relationship has always been complicated, obviously because she is Ron's little sister, then there was the whole Chamber of Secrets thing, then Dean Thomas...I could go on and on but that's not the point. I'm glad of the time that Ginny and I got to spend together, it was wonderful and we loved each other so much. We still do. But as time went on we just both began to grow apart instead of closer together. I was spending more time at work and she was spending more time at Qudditch practice, the only time we really only saw each other was at home and even then we were both to tired to even say anything to each other so we just went to bed" Hermione's eyes were wide, she didn't know if it was just because Harry was drunk that he was telling her all this but she had never known the true reason why they had broken up and she was pretty sure no one else but Ginny knew either.

"When we broke up we were both upset of course, but I think in the end we both knew it was the right thing to do because as much as we loved each other, we weren't 'in love' with each other if you know what I mean? It was like you and Ron right?"

Hermione took a sharp breath but nodded, "Kind of, yeah"

"It just couldn't work out, so when her letter said Seamus, I knew that he would make her happy, I mean their both Qudditch crazy! And I know I was but not as crazy as them" Both Harry and Hermione laughed, the two were known for their love of Qudditch, it did make more sense for their pairing now that Harry had explained the end of their relationship.

"Thank you for telling me that Harry, even if you remember it or not in the morning" She laughed

"No worries Hermione, I never told anyone that and I don't think Ginny has either but I was glad I could tell you. You're my best friend and we tell each other everything. So thank you for always being there for me" Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a tight one armed hug. Hermione smiled and leaned into the hug for a moment before they both pulled away.

"Of course Harry, I'm always going to be here for you, we stick together through anything" Hermione smiled and stood up, brushing the excess grass from her dress and slipped on her shoes before extending her hand for Harry to take, "Now Mr. Potter, lets get you into bed because you look ready to pass out"

Harry gratefully took her hand and shoved himself off the grass, "I feel like I'm ready to pass out. Too much fire whiskey and then some guests wouldn't leave" He sighed, "I do not want to be ushering out Muriel again, I don't know what's worse her yelling at me or hitting me with her hand bag" They both laughed and walked into the Burrow, both grateful for the family and friends they had around them. It was never boring when you were at the Burrow.


	9. Falling For You

**Chapter 9 -**

It had been a few weeks since Ginny and Seamus' wedding, they were currently still off adventuring around the coast of Ireland, visiting Seamus' family and seeing the sights. Ginny had been so excited to travel to another country, of course she had visited Egypt and Romania with her family but getting to see a country on her own and with her new husband was a dream come true. Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she dragged Seamus out the door and into the Ministry car that was awaiting them. Everything had begun to wind down and the chaos from the first wedding began to settle, but Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before the fuss kicked up again, it was the twin's double wedding next and she had no idea what that was going to turn out like.

Hermione was currently sprawled across her bed in Ginny's room with magazines upon magazines of wedding related articles laying across the bed and the floor, ever since she found out this Marriage Law was happening she started doing research, well not so much research but planning, she knew Mrs Weasley already had a lot on her plate and she just wanted to try lighten the load if she was able to plan some of it out for her, it was her wedding after all and she wanted to put in as much of what she wanted as possible.

A light knock on the door disturbed her from staring at a gorgeous muggle wedding dress and she glanced up to see Ron poking his head through, "Mind if I come in?" He asked sheepishly

"Sure" Mione smiled a little, pulled out her wand and made the magazines into a neat pile on Ginny's bed. Ron chuckled as he closed the door.

"Going mad with the planning as well?"

Hermione shrugged, "Not so much mad, I know your Mum has a lot on her plate right now and I'm sure she's stressed. I just wanted to try help make it as unstressful as possible for her. Plus, it is my wedding, I think I'm allowed to plan by myself for a while"

Ron nodded, "I understand..." He trailed off, slightly glancing at Hermione before he felt warmth spreading in his cheeks and right up to his ears and of course Hermione noticed.

"Ron? Are you okay?" She raised an eyebrow

"Yeah, I'm fine...well actually" Ron sighed and leaned against the wall, his eyes finally meeting hers again. "I never expected it to be like this you know"

"Like what?"

"Us apart. Planning separate weddings to different people" He ran a hand through his hair, "I just always thought that it would be us planning our wedding together. I never thought we would break up, I always imagined us being together and fighting against the world. Proving all the people who thought we wouldn't last wrong" Hermione pursed her lips, she understood where he was coming from, while they were at Hogwarts and they kissed inside the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione thought that was it. She had found her one true love and that it would be her happily ever after, but how wrong she was. They would constantly bicker and fight, Ron always thought he was right and would push Hermione into an argument and then they wouldn't talk for days. It took them both ages to figure out that they were just meant to be friends, not lovers.

"I know" Hermione whispered, "I thought it too"

Ron glanced up at her, surprised that she would even say that. "I don't know how we both didn't see it sooner" He laughed a little, "I mean you always did say I have the emotional range of a teaspoon" He grinned and met Hermione's eyes, they both paused before breaking out into laughter.

"I am sorry I said that to you" Hermione giggled, a bright smile on her face

Ron shrugged it off, "Don't apologise. You were right, I did! But thanks to the time we spent together I feel like I've grown up and matured a lot more. And Lavender has as well, I was totally surprised when I first went to her house to propose that she didn't start slobbering all over my face like she used to" He chuckled, "She didn't call me 'Won Won' either encase you were wondering. She's turned into a wonderful, mature women" He grinned

"Aww Ronnie's in love" Hermione grinned and shoved him playfully

"I think I might be Mione" Ron smiled, you could see it in his eyes how much he now cared for Lavender. "I think maybe, just maybe, that even though she was an annoying git in school, that I truly did care for her. But obviously my feelings for you at the time hid them and only now with this Law being passed, that they've finally came to the surface. I think I needed that time to understand and grow as a person. And I'm thankful for all the time we spent together because you made me the man I am today" Ron smiled and placed his hand on top of Hermione's.

Hermione felt the tears begin to prick at her eyes, she never knew Ron could be this deep, "I'm glad I could help in making you the man you are today Ron, we will always be friends you know that" She smiled

"Of course I do" Ron beamed, "And not only friends, but you're going to be my sister-in-law!"

"Very true!" Hermione smiled, her mind now filling with the though of Charlie, although she didn't want him to know yet, he truly did make her happy. "I'm very lucky to be matched with Charlie"

Ron nodded, "You're a lucky girl and he's an extremely lucky guy. I know Charlie will treat you right and take great care of you Mione, we can all see in his eyes how much he already adores and cares for you"

Hermione felt her heart flutter, just hearing someone confirm her thoughts made her fill with love and joy, she was so glad to find someone who truly cared for her and she knew wouldn't hurt her. "Thank you Ron"

"No problem Mione, what I came up here for was, not to give you and Charlie my blessing, but to wish you luck. I know people must think because we're exes that we need to hate and loath each other but that will never happen. I'm glad that you're becoming part of the family, and Harry too. It's about bloody time" Ron laughed and hugged her tightly before rising, "I best be off. Lavender needs me and her brothers to go try on robes and I don't want to be late. I'm glad we got talking Mione" He smiled

"Me too Ron, me too" Hermione grinned at him before he left and sank back into her cosy space as the door closed. She was glad Ron was now being mature about this all, obviously when they were first told of the Law no one was happy, especially not him. But she was happy that he had found the one for him, and she hoped that what he said about Lavender was true, they couldn't take her if she was still how she was at school

Charlie slumped onto the sofa and sighed in relief as his aching back began to unleash all the tension from today, it had been a long and hellish day of work but he was glad with the amount he had gotten done, the surprise he had for Hermione was going to be complete sooner than he thought and he couldn't wait to show her, she was going to be speechless. Speaking of Hermione, she had just walked through the door to the living room when she saw Charlie relaxing on the sofa, she smiled and went towards him. "Someone looks sleepy" She grinned

Charlie's eyes popped open when he heard her voice, and as soon as his eyes met hers he felt a grin spread across his face. "Exhausted" He agreed, "It's been a long day but the surprise I have for you is going to be worth it"

Hermione's mouth popped open into a small 'o' shape and her brows furrowed together, "Charlie, you didn't have to get me anything"

He rolled his eyes and stood up, "Ah ah ah, I wanted to Mione. Really. Plus this surprise is really for both of us, but only I and a few select others know about it. Honestly, you're going to be really pleased when it's finished, I promise" He pecked her cheek and grinned

Hermione pursed her lips and stared at him, trying to get him to back down but the longer she started, the more she felt herself backing down, and when he kissed her cheek, it sealed the deal. "Okay, okay. I can't wait to see what it is. Any hints?" She smirked, causing Charlie to laugh

"You've certainly changed your tune haven't you?" He winked, "But nope. No hints. I want to totally surprise you and sweep you off your feet"

"You already have Charlie" Hermione smiled, batting her eyelids at him

Charlie stared at her, how could one woman be so magnificent and cute? He could feel his heart hammering inside his chest and his palms began to grow sweaty, not to mention the butterflies in his stomach. She definitely had him wrapped around her little finger, and he didn't mind one bit. He knew he was falling in love, oh big time, but as he stood here and stared into her eyes, he knew she was falling in love with him too.

"You're amazing, you know that Mione?" Charlie reached out his hand to caress her cheek softly, smiling wide as he saw the blush creep across her cheeks. "I'm falling for you so so hard"

"I'm falling for you too Charlie" Hermione glanced up, her heart racing as she saw how close Charlie was, she could feel his warm breath on her skin and the smell of his cologne was beginning to drive her crazy, her eyes glanced down to his lips, the temptation to press her own to his was driving her insane. Without knowing, her arms slowly found their way to his shoulders before wrapping them around his neck, her hands tickling the bottom of his hair as she glanced up at his eyes again before going to his lips. Charlie sensing the sudden change of atmosphere soon caught on, his own temptation to kiss this amazing woman was driving him crazy. He pulled her closer into his chest and sighed happily at the tantalising smell of her shampoo;

 _Strawberries and Cream, what a brilliant combo_ , he thought

If he pulled her any closer to his body they would merge into one, Charlie's fingers grazed at Hermione's hips, he chewed his own lip for a second before beginning to lean down, their lips were inches away, just a little bit closer and they would be having their first kiss. Charlie closed the distance and then...


	10. The Double Wedding

**Chapter 10 -**

The door to the Burrow swung open with such force that when it collided with the wall it shook most of the pictures that were hanging, Hermione and Charlie leapt apart, almost if they had both gotten an electric shock. Charlie glowered, he hated being interrupted! He and Hermione were just about to kiss, and how he had been fantasising about it for so long, she was so close, their bodies almost touching, their lips inching apart, the smell of Hermione's shampoo drifted into his thoughts again and he felt himself slipping into a daze before he remembered that they had just been rudely interrupted.

Charlie frowned and looked towards the door to see none other than a frazzled Mrs Weasley standing there, a pot in one hand while waving her wand, he supposed she must have been in the middle of baking something but the look on her face did not look happy.

"Oh, so sorry dears. I didn't realise you were both in here..." Mrs Weasley looked sheepingly between them, between the colour of Hermione's face and the red that was beginning to tint Charlie's ears she realised she had just interrupted a most important moment.

"It's okay Mrs Weasley" Hermione smiled politely towards her soon to be Mother-In-Law, but she gave a quick side glance at Charlie, who spotted a wicked glint in her eyes. Charlie had to bite his lip from smirking. His Mother always did hate it when someone was smirking, she always called it 'the height of rudeness'.

"Is there anything we can help you with?"

Mrs Weasley simply looked flabbergasted, she had always been so used to doing everything herself with Arthur always being at work and kids who loved to cause mayhem, that anytime someone asked her if there was anything they could do, she could never respond...or say no.

"Oh, Hermione, dear. Thank you ever so much" Her eyes shined with happiness, and she could feel a weight coming off her shoulders. Organising so many weddings in such a short period of time was stressful.

"It's no problem at all Mrs Weasley, you're already doing so many things for everyone else, the least I could do is help" Hermione smiled

"Well if you don't mind dear, I'll need a bit of help with the garden. The bushes need trimmed, and some new bulbs are growing which need a little help along, if it's not too much trouble" Mrs Weasley paused, she didn't want to ask too much. After all, Hermione was also planning a wedding too.

Hermione waved her hand in the air and laughed slightly, "Of course it's not too much trouble. I used to do the gardening with my Mum all the time, it was quite lovely, especially in the warm summer air and sipping a glass of refreshing lemonade" she smiled sadly at the memory, she hadn't tried to think too much about her parents, it ached to know they wouldn't remember her. But she knew they were safe, and maybe some day she and Charlie would go to Australia and find what they made of their new lease on life. Before anyone could notice the hint of sadness on her face, Hermione picked herself up, grabbed her wand from where she was once sitting and made her way out to the back garden.

Mrs Weasley smiled warmly at Hermione as she passed and then turned her attention to her son who was still standing quietly in the corner. "So, Charlie, did I interrupt anything?" A teasing smile and wicked gleam appeared in her eyes, a form slowly planning in her head as she watched Charlie search for an answer

Charlie chuckled softly, "You know too well Mum that you interrupted something...But Hermione and I will certainly have to pick up from where we left off late" He grinned.

Mrs Weasley nodded and left Charlie to his own devices, pottering back into the kitchen to try and remember whose wedding cake she was making.

Hermione stood back, one hand on her hip and the other covering her eyes as she admired her handy work, well more like the wands handy work but she did use her hands to pull out the weeds. But once the heat got to her she just had to use her wand. The twins wedding was coming up soon and the garden had to be sitting perfect, plus Hermione had a check around the hidden areas just to ensure that no prank machines were left by the twins. God knows what they had planned for the wedding.

Over in the other end of the corner, the twins plus Harry, Ron, Mr Weasley and Bill were all setting up the marquee for the twin's double wedding.

"That's it boys, just nice and easy"

After a few minutes the marquee had not been set up and Mr Weasley had went about securing the tent to ensure that there was no way the marquee would fly off into the night. Fred and George were standing by, eyeing the large tent and pursing their lips.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Gred?" George smirked, twirling his wand in his hand

Fred smiled and nodded, "Of course I am Forge" He raised his wand and with George they both muttered an incantation. Sparks shot out from their wands and almost in slow motion the colour of the tent began to change from white into a bright purple and orange. The twins stowed their wands away and high fived with delight in marvel of their handy work.

Hermione laughed to herself, of course the twins were going to go all flashy and boisterous with their colours. They had always been so fun and animated so she knew their wedding was going to be too. She drifted over to the rest of the group, at first she was going to help but everything had been set up so she now had some time to relax. She stood by Fred and George, her arms folded and a smile on her lips.

"So Granger, what do you think?" Fred smiled

"Why, I think it's marvellous!" Hermione beamed at him, "I couldn't imagine it any other way. You both have always had such a creative and colourful life that I couldn't picture either of your wedding's being any different"

"Wow, thank you for amazing words. We certainly feel honoured to have such high compliments from the brightest witch of her age" George bowed which caused the trio to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Are either of you nervous?"

Fred glanced at George, who just stared back at his brother before they both shrugged. "Honestly, I thought I was going to be nervous" George admitted, "But after thinking about it. We're getting older and there would have come a time where it would have happened eventually. I think I'm more excited then anything really. It's a new chapter, not only for us but for everyone. And I for one cannot wait" George grinned

Fred nodded, "Hear, Hear!"

Hermione giggled and glanced back at the tent, noticing that Charlie was inside the tent helping to place the chairs for the ceremony. She couldn't help but watching at how concentrated he was while still laughing with Mr Weasley as they set up. A small smile formed on her lips, something which the twins did not miss.

"Is a certain bookworm feeling all sappy now with her dragon tamer" Fred teased, gently nudging Hermione in the side.

Hermione felt the warmth creep up in her cheeks and she knew that feeling too well, Charlie had constantly made her blush ever since it was announced they would be getting married. "You boys..." She sighed. "But to tell the truth, I am feeling sappy. I know you probably don't want to hear this about your brother but Charlie has stirred feelings inside of me that I never knew I could feel" Hermione grinned.

George pretended to gag before covering it up with a cough as he saw the steely glare that Hermione was giving him.

"I hope it's not awkward for the rest of the family thought" She muttered

Fred raised an eyebrow, "And why do you think that?"

Hermione shrugged, "Everyone always thought that Ron and I were meant to end up together, and now for me to be paired up with one of his brothers and getting married...I just don't want anyone to be upset" She whispered

Fred and George glanced at her, they hardly ever saw Hermione so worried...scratch that, of course they saw her worried especially during exams or when essays were due, but this was different. They both wrapped a protective arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. "Honestly Mione, no one could ever be upset or angry with you. Especially about this! Remember the pairings were out of our control, and if Kingsley honestly got the best matchmakers to make these pairings then they have done one hell of a job. Nothing against Ron or anything..." George bent down to met her ear, "You and Charlie are much more suited to each other"

Hermione felt the smile creep up on her face again, she didn't meant to get so nervous about her and Charlie being together now, she just wanted to be accepted by the Weasley's and after her failed relationship with Ron, she just wanted to know what everyone had been thinking and that they didn't think anything less of her.

"I one hundred percent concur with my twin here m'dear. You and Charlie have a lot more in common than what you and Ron had, no offence to ickle Ronnikins but Charlie can certainly hold an intelligent conversation and would never get upset at the slightest of things" Fred grinned, thinking back to all the times when he and George would do anything they could to wind Ron up, which was the easiest thing as he had the shortest temper.

"I'm glad, thank you both for your support. All I want is to be accepted by everyone, and I know you all think that I'm part of the family now.."

"You're practically part of the furniture now! There's no leaving the Weasley clan now" George laughed, which in turn caused Hermione and Fred to laugh.

Charlie glanced up as he heard a sudden burst of laughter and saw that Hermione was now chatting to Fred and George by the side of the tent. He couldn't help but smile himself as he saw how happy Hermione was. He truly was a lucky Wizard to be getting married Hermione Granger.

Next Day -

Finally the day had come for the much anticipated double wedding of the year, the noise in the Burrow seemed to increase now with the extra guests who had arrived, Angelina and Katie had arrived early in the morning of the wedding to ensure that Hermione and Ginny were able to help them get dressed, all four girls were holed up in Ginny's room while the grooms, their brothers and some of the girls relatives were in the living room.

Charlie was leaning against the wall watching as the chaos ensued, he knew that in a matter of days that this would be happening for himself and Hermione, so for the time being he was more than happy to just soak all of the chaos in and to tease the life out of the twins while he could. Fred and George were both sitting on the sofa, despite what everyone thought they were going for in their choice of suits, they both had went the traditional muggle route as they wanted to incorporate both the muggle and Wizard elements of a wedding.

"Nervous boys" Molly smile as she brushed the non-existing lint from their suits, she had been trying not to cry all morning, she couldn't believe all of her babies were getting married. And each time a wedding happening she was starting to feel the empty nest syndrome even more.

"A little bit Mum" Fred admitted, he was quite nervous and excited to be starting this new chapter of his life. After Molly finished swatting at his arm he pulled her into a tight hug. Molly, who was quite surprised at such an affectionate hug from her joker of a son, hugged him back just as tight.

"Hey!" George moaned, catching the attention of everyone in the room, "You can't have a hug with one twin and not the other" He pretended to pout before Molly made a fuss and pulled him into the hug too.

Charlie chuckled and heard footsteps coming from above, he glanced around the corner and his heart soared when he saw Hermione coming down the stairs. He couldn't take his eyes off her as he noticed what she was wearing, it was a pale pink dress which went down to her knees, it was a satin material and it accentuated all of her curves. Hermione could feel the blush creeping up again and had to remind herself several times to breath as she saw Charlie coming out from behind the wall.

Charlie, just like the Twins, was dressed in a muggle tuxedo, with his muscles the crisp white shirt clung to his arms and Hermione could make out each outline of the muscle. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the bow he was wearing along. He looked devilishly handsome. As she got to the bottom of the stairs Charlie held a hand out of her to take, she slipped her hand into his and they both shuddering with delight at the sudden warmth.

"Wow" Charlie murmured, his eyes glancing up and down at Hermione one again, "You look breathtakingly beautiful"

Hermione smiled, "I could say the same about you" She giggled as he quirked one eyebrow up

"I look breathtakingly beautfiul?" Charlie teased, a smile on his eyes

"Why, yes you do Mr Weasley"

Charlie chuckled, "Here I was thinking that I looked quite dashing in my tuxedo. But I suppose breathtakingly beautiful will have to do" He sighed, trying not to let out a laugh

Hermione rolled her eyes, smiling teasingly at her fiance. "It's a compliment nonetheless"

Charlie couldn't help but laugh, "Why yes it is, and I appreciate it very much so" He leaned closer to her and for a second Hermione thought he was going to kiss her, but at the last second he placed a quick but meaningful kiss on her cheek. Once he pulled away she could still feel his lips on her skin, her heart was racing after the contact. Wow, she thought, if that's what it feels like to be kissed on the cheek by Charlie, imagine what it feels like to be kissed on the lips. Hermione couldn't help but feel like a giggly school girl at the thought of it.

It felt like the day had went by in a blur, and before she knew it, Hermione was sitting at the table watching as Fred with Katie and George and Angelina had their first dance. The tent had been as brightly decorated on the inside as it had been on the outside. When Hermione first saw it she couldn't help but giggle, all she could do was imagine the reaction of Mrs Weasley when she found out the twin's ideas. The tables had been decorated in a mix of purple and orange, the twins signature colour. Some tables had purple cloths and then others had orange, the candelabras which were used for the centrepieces corresponded with each colour. Therefore with the tables that were purple the candelabras were orange, and the tables that were orange had purple candelabras.

Overhead the twins had used one of their devices they had been developing for their store, Everlasting Fireworks (of course they weren't everlasting, they had an incantation for when the user wanted to stop them, and they were reusable so they could be put away for another occasion). So as the fireworks were exploding, silently so as not to ruin the atmosphere, small multicoloured sparks were shimmering over the crowd, like a snowflake.

Hermione couldn't help but be in awe of the twin's effort and cleverness, they really did not like to show how smart they really were. She could just imagine the amount of magic that went into creating those ideas of theirs. Charlie, who had been watching Hermione for several moments could see the cogs spinning in her head as she tried to work out how the twins had pulled it off, he chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders before leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"You seem a bit distracted, anything I can help with" He smiled as he felt her jump under his arm, she turned her head slightly and smiled back.

"I was just thinking about the amount of magic it must take to make their inventions" Hermione glanced around again, taking note of the candy dispenser by the entrance to the tent which offered either a 'trick or treat' to each passer by. Hermione and Charlie had been left gasping for air when they released that the dispenser had given Ron a rather unfortunate sweet that turned him in a peacock at random intervals throughout the night. They had been in mid-conversation with him when a flash of light appeared and in Ron's place was now a peacock, which looked quite angry.

"I do have to admit that Fred and George are both a hell of a lot smarter than what they make it out to be" Charlie admitted, his eyes glancing over to his twin brothers who were beaming with happiness as they danced with their new brides. "They showed me how they made their puking pastels before they went back to school and I couldn't believe it. They were doing N.E.W.T level magic years before they should have been doing it. And although my Mum wouldn't want to admit then, she was very proud that they had found something they were talented at and passionate about. The level of magic that it takes to make their inventions is incredible. I'm just glad that it's worked out for them. They really put their mind to opening this shop and the success they've had has been amazing" Charlie smiled, he truly was proud of his brothers. He had known how tough it was for them to grow up in his and Bill's shadow, after all the success they had brought, but he knew that they would find their passion and would make the family proud too.

Hermione's heart warmed as she saw how happy and proud Charlie was of his brothers, she knew how much family meant to Charlie and with him now moving back home she could truly see how much they meant to him. "Although I gave them a lot of trouble in school, I was secretly in awe of what they could do. I always dreamt about being able to do that type of magic and for them to have achieved it so young is incredible" Hermione smiled, resting her head on Charlie's shoulder as she heard the music change.

Charlie watched as other couples began to join the dance floor, "Hermione?"

"Hmm"

"Would you care to dance with me?" Charlie smiled as her head snapped up to look at him

"You want me to dance with you?"

"That's what I asked isn't it?" He chuckled as he saw Hermione's cheeks tinge pink

"Of course I would like to dance with you" Charlie rose to his feet, bowing towards Hermione which made her giggle and then outstretched his hand to hers. She placed her hands in his and let him guide her towards the dance floor. Hermione gasped as Charlie suddenly twirled her onto the dance floor before pulling her securely into his chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he tentatively placed his hands on her waist.

"I do have to say Mr Weasley, that you have taken my breath away" Hermione let out a soft laugh as she let herself relax into the dance.

"I seem to be doing that a lot to you this evening my lady" Charlie grinned as they slowly swayed to the beat of the music. He could feels eyes watching them and he glanced over to find Bill and Fleur smiling at them, Bill had a wicked glint in his eyes and Charlie just knew that he was going to be in for a teasing later by his older brother.

Hermione glanced up at Charlie, her eyes taking in all of his features from his jawline right to the freckle just above his eyebrow. Her heart thudded against her chest so hard she thought it was going to burst out. Charlie glanced back down to find Hermione looking at him, as their eyes met again it was as if the rest of the guests disappeared. It was just them now on the dance floor, swaying to the music and enjoying others company.

The feelings of what had happened in the living room of the Burrow a few nights ago both played back in their memory. Charlie's grip tightened around her waist ever so slightly, it was as if he couldn't get her close enough to him. Hermione begun to play with the ends of his hair, smiling as she heard a small growl rise from his chest. Her eyes glanced over his lips, and she felt the overwhelming desire to kiss him. Hermione bit her lip softly and shuddered as Charlie bent down to her ear, she could feel his warmth breath at the base of her neck.

"You don't know what you do to me Mione" He whispered before pulling back slightly to gauge the emotion on her face.

"You don't know what you do to me Charlie"

Charlie caught her eyes flicker down towards his lips again, and he knew this was it. He had to kiss her. This was the moment they had been waiting for. He moved a hand up to the back of her neck, holding her there. They both caught each other's eye before moving in time with each other. Charlie made contact first, as soon as his lips met Hermione's it was like a jolt of electricity spread through his body. He could feel her shudder from the touch before giving in and relaxing into his tough. Her body moulding into his way in a way he had never felt before.

It lasted a few moments, he kissed her a bit more firmly before pulling away. He slowly opened his eyes to find her brown ones gazing back at him. They gazed at each other for a moment before they both felt a grin spread across their face. "Wow" Hermione sighed happily, she could still feel the electricity from the kiss spreading through her body. That had to be the best kiss she had experienced.

"Wow, is right" Charlie whispered, pulling her close to his chest. Hermione rested her head on his chest as they continued to sway to the music, neither noticing that the music had now changed to a faster song and that the Weasley family had congregated on the side of the dance floor to watch them.

"It was about bloody time" Fred laughed

"Looks like you owe me a galleon Fred" George smirked, sticking out his hand

"Oh bugger" Fred frowned before placing the galleon into his brother's hand.


	11. Perfect

**Chapter 11 -**

Hermione had the worst dream of her life, she felt like she had been transported right back to the war. The moment she thought they had lost as she stared at all the lifeless bodies around her. Suddenly a flash of green light shot towards her, and just as it was about to hit her, she awoke from her nightmare. She sat up in bed, feeling the cold sweat dripping down her body. Her sheets were soaked and she didn't want to think about going back to sleep. She slipped her feet into her slippers and pulled on her dressing gown before slipping out of Ginny's bedroom quietly.

She tip toed down the stairs to ensure that she didn't wake anyone up. As she got to the kitchen door she noticed the light was on and could hear the faint sound of a quill on parchment. Although she would never admit it, but everyone probably knew, that was her favourite sound. She found it so soothing just being able to write, and feeling the parchment under her skin was soothing. She pushed the door open slightly and was pleasantly surprised to find Charlie hunching over a piece of parchment, she couldn't help but grin as she saw that his tongue was poking out slightly and his brow was furrowed. He must have been concentrating very hard on whatever it was he was writing.

"Boo" Hermione let out a quiet giggle as Charlie jumped in his seat, he turned in his seat, his eyes brightening as he saw the sight of Hermione before him

"Don't scare me like that" Charlie breathed before letting out a small laugh

"Sorry, I couldn't resist" Hermione smiled as she took a seat opposite Charlie

"The twins seem to be rubbing off on you" Charlie smirked, not even the slightest bit shocked as she nodded her head in agreement

"The twins have, and I appreciate it. I know I can take things too seriously, I'm just that type of person. But after the war..." Hermione paused, unsure if she could talk about it. The vivid nightmare still etched in her mind but she pushed through. It was always better to talk about your feelings."Things changed after then. I released that life was too short. I didn't want to always be known as the goody-two shoes or the bookworm. I wanted to have fun"

Charlie leaned on his hand and watched her intently, by the emotions flickering on her face he didn't think she had told anyone about this.

"It had been such a close call. And I don't want to regret not experiencing everything and..." Hermione paused, trying to find the right words before smirking. "Basically I just wanted to grab life by the balls and enjoy it"

Charlie blinked, momentarily stunned that Hermione would even say that but then let out a hearty laugh, his chest soon began to hurt as the duo laughed together. The laughter slowly quietened down and Hermione grinned at him. "I definitely think the twins are rubbing off on me. I think that's a favourite quote from Fred" She smiled

Charlie nodded in agreement, "That it is." He reached across the table and gently took Hermione's hands in his. Only noticing now that her hand seemed to be soaked. He raised an eyebrow at her before she quickly pulled her hand away, looking down with a look of sadness on her face. "What is it Mione? You can tell me"

Hermione glanced up, it was better to be honest than to hold her feelings in, plus this was Charlie and they were getting married. She needed to be honest. So for the next few minutes Hermione recounted the tale of her nightmare, by the end of it Charlie had moved round to be beside her, enveloping her in a big hug and hugging her so tight Hermione thought she was going to pass out.

"I'm glad you told me Hermione" Charlie murmured softly as he played with her hair. "I know it must have been so hard to tell someone that. Everything is okay now. There is no more war. No more Voldemort. Nothing can hurt you. Plus, I'm always here to protect you now...Even though I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself but, that's just me. I'm protective"

Hermione giggled and nuzzled her head into the crook of Charlie's neck. "You can protect me any day Charlie" They sighed happily, letting a comfortable silence fall between them until Hermione remembered about the parchment he had been writing on, she eyed it curiously. "Charlie?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you writing before I came in?"

Charlie's eyes popped open as he grabbed the piece of parchment before Hermione's curiosity got the better of her. "I was...uh...I was writing my wedding vows" He said quietly. Hermione blinked at him, feeling a sudden rush of love and happiness course through her.

"Oh Charlie..." She whispered, beginning to hug him even tighter

No words needed to be said. They both knew what each other was thinking. Charlie gently tipped Hermione's chin up so he could look at her. "Stay with me tonight?" He asked

Hermione felt her face blush, she must have been tomato red judging by the cheeky grin Charlie gave her in return. "I mean to sleep. Don't worry, we don't have to do anything...Only if you want to" He winked, enjoying as her face flushed a much deeper red. He didn't think anyone could blush as much as she could. "And Hermione, you know I will never force you into doing something you don't want to do"

Hermione smiled, she honestly was so lucky to have been matched with Charlie. She didn't know what she would do if she had been paired with someone she didn't like. "Thank you Charlie" She pecked his lips quickly, laughing at the glazed look that come over him. "And of course I'll sleep...I mean stay with you tonight" Hermione blushed again, hiding her face in his neck. She could feel the rumble of his chest and just knew he was laughing at her. What she didn't expect though was for Charlie to sweep her in his arms and carry up the stairs to his bedroom.

In all of her years of staying at the Burrow, Charlie's room along with Bill's, had been the only bedrooms she hadn't seen. But it was no surprise that when he opened the door, with one hand as she was still in his arms, she found it decorated in red and gold. Gryffindor colours. She smiled, even the bed sheets were red and gold and had the house crest emblazoned across it. He had an oak desk which was littered with various books, most on dragons of course. She glanced at the title of one and swore she found the dragon winking at her. A few Quidditch posters had been plastered on the wall. But she found a picture that she quite liked and had not yet seen. It was of her and Charlie, as they had sat in the back garden together, his arm was draped lazily across her shoulders and her head was resting on his. She smiled. "Where did you get this?"

Charlie flushed, causing a small smirk to appear on Hermione's face. So he does blush, that's good to know. "I got it from my Mum, she had been in the kitchen washing the dishes that evening when she saw us and thought it would make quite the candid photo. I've been meaning to show you but everything around here has been so hectic. I think she has also put it in the family scrapbook" Hermione grinned, she knew of the Weasley family scrapbook but had never seen it. So to be put in it by Molly was such an honour.

Charlie smiled as Hermione looked at the photo again before she took a step before the bed, only to stop, glance down at herself and frown. "What's wrong?"

"My pyjamas...They got a bit soaked after my nightmare" She whispered, turning towards the door to go and fetch herself a new pair only to be stopped by Charlie who handed her a red and gold shirt. She unfolded it to find that it was his Quidditch shirt, his number and name printed on the back. Hermione truly felt like a school girl right now, she felt so giddy and excited that to both her surprise and Charlie's, she stripped down to her underwear and pulled his shirt on.

Charlie didn't blink, he felt that if he blinked he would miss what he was seeing in front of him. His fiance just stripped down to barely anything and what a view Charlie got. His eyes glanced quickly down to her chest, and he was pleasantly surprised, underneath the sweatshirts and baggy t-shirts Hermione had a nice couple of assets. He felt a blush creep up on his cheeks and he had to fight the temptation and desire he felt for her. But as she pulled the Quidditch top on and over her head he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. The shirt had fell down to just above Hermione's knees, she had also tied her hair up into a messy bun and Charlie swore that she was the cutest and most beautiful girl he had laid eyes on. He gently cupped her cheek and pecked her lips, lingering for a moment before pulling away.

"May I say that this is the first time I have ever given anyone my Quidditch shirt to wear" He stated softly, Hermione looked up in surprise. Of course she knew Charlie had been with other girls, of course he had! Look at him, the man was practically a god. But to be the first girl, and only girl from now on, to be able to wear his Quidditch shirt felt like a great honour to her.

"I wanted to save it for that special someone, the someone I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with and I am so proud and lucky to say that someone is you Hermione" Charlie smiled, leading her towards the bed and pulling the covers back to allow her in. As they both get settled and comfy, Charlie used his wand to distinguish the light, the cuddled for a few moments in silence.

"This is perfect" Hermione sighed happily

"It really is...The first of many cuddles!" Charlie grinned and Hermione giggled, she gave him a soft kiss, their lips moving together as one before a breathless Hermione pulled away and snuggled into his chest.

"Goodnight my dragon tamer" She murmured sleepily

"Goodnight my bookworm" Charlie kissed the top of her head before they both drifted into a sound sleep


	12. Hermione's Big Surprise

**Chapter 12 -**

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione's eyes flew open and she jumped straight out of bed, wand at the ready, it only took her a few moments to realise that Ginny was standing on front her, a wide beaming smile on her face, she looked like she was really trying not to jump up and down in one spot. Hermione yawned before glaring at her soon to be sister-in-law. "Ginny, what in the name of all that is good are you shouting for? It is..." She paused and glanced at the clock on the wall. "7am, and you're shouting my name? Do you want to wake the whole house up"

Ginny blinked before laughing, "You really aren't a morning person are you Mione? Charlie will have fun with you" She giggled, not noticing the small blush rising on Hermione's cheeks.

"I...You...I" Hermione sighed, she really didn't have a come back for that. Instead she just watched as Ginny flung open Hermione's wardrobe and began searching for some clothes

"What ever are you doing Ginny?"

Ginny peeked out from behind the wardrobe. "Oh nothing, just searching for an outfit for you. Charlie gave me strict instructions to wake you at this time, but to also dress you suitably for the occasion" She smiled and went back to hunting in the wardrobe. Finding a lovely pair of skinny jeans, with a pink vest top and white canvas shoes. "Perfect"

Hermione, for probably one of the first times in her life, was utterly confused. "But why would Charlie need you to wake me at this time? What has he got planned?" She questionned

"Now now, you don't think I would tell you anything do you? It's a surprise" Ginny grinned, putting the clothes on the bed and standing on front of Hermione again.

"Now, get dressed and then come downstairs. Don't take too long" Ginny wagged a finger at her before leaving the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't help to smile as she begun to get dressed, so many scenarios begun to run through her mind. She had no idea what Charlie had planned but the list was endless. She had to admit Charlie had truly surprised her ever since the marriage law was introduced, she had thought that he wouldn't be too happy about moving back home and leaving his dragons. But everything had worked out perfectly, as much as she didn't want to admit it she knew that she was falling for Charlie, and fast. She had no idea she could ever feel like this about someone in such a short amount of time.

Hermione took one last look at herself in the mirror before skipping downstairs, she found Charlie sitting on the sofa, reading a book about the Welsh Green Dragon as he waited. Hermione smiled, she would have to make an effort to learn more about what Charlie loved to do. She coughed slightly to make him aware that she was there. Charlie glanced up from his book and grinned as he saw her standing there. "I'm glad Ginny kept to her word" He grinned, walking towards Hermione and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Ready to go?" He asked, a wicked gleam in his eye

Hermione quirked her eyebrow but nodded, "I am. But where to?"

"Now Bookworm, do you really think I would give away the surprise" Charlie chuckled and pulled a blindfold from his back pocket. "I hope you don't mind, but I really want to surprise you"

Hermione giggled and nodded, "As long as you promise not to leave me in some random country"

Charlie nodded and slipped the blindfold over her eyes, "I would never do such a thing" He teased, wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her out of the house and into a nearby field. "Now, I'm going to apparate us to where we need to go, okay?"

Hermione nodded, not long after she felt the tugging sensation side-along appariation, she had to remind herself not to be sick, but it wasn't long before she felt her feet on solid ground again. She took a deep breath of fresh air and felt her stomach settle after the brief trip. "You okay?" Charlie asked softly.

"I am, thank you Charlie. It's just been a while since I've had to do that" She laughed slightly, leaning against Charlie for support as the effects wore off. Once Charlie felt that she was steady enough he slipped the blindfold of her eyes and watched her reaction with eager anticipation.

It took a few moments for Hermione to get used to the sunlight again but once she had her eyes fully took in the sight of what stood before her. She out an audible gasp as she eyed the house that stood on front of her, it reminder her so much of the burrow, just a more modern version. The house itself was red in colour and was 3 storey's high. It had a large garden, and for a fleeting moment she could picture her and Charlie's children running about the garden.

"Charlie.." She whispered, the tears slowly beginning to build before she felt a few fall down her cheek. Hermione looked over at Charlie who was staring at her with a small, loving smile on his face. Without warning Hermione threw herself to Charlie and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Charlie chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him while the shock settled in.

"How? Where? Why? When?" Hermione babbled, she felt like she couldn't form a coherent sentence at the moment

"Slow down bookworm" He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "This was the house I had purchased before I moved to Romania. Before I knew I wanted to care for dragons I had been ready to find a place of my own. I found this one evening as I was taking a stroll, it almost appeared how the room of requirement did back at Hogwarts" Charlie smiled fondly. "It hasn't always been red though, I managed to persuade my siblings into giving me a hand to redecorate it. Once I received the letter from the Ministry informing me that I was to marry you. I knew I had to come back. But not only that, during the time that we've been planning our wedding and getting to know each other, I just knew that I had to make this home yours aswell as mine. I wanted you to feel at home and at ease. So, all the times that I've been disappearing and not returning this is where I've been. I've been getting it ready for us to move into soon" Charlie finished, watching Hermione's eyes and waiting for her reaction.

Hermione listened intently to Charlie, wiping the tears away from her eyes as he told her about everything he had done. "I can't believe it" She whispered, glancing away for only a moment to look at the house. "Charlie, this is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me" She hugged him tightly again. "You truly are one in a million" She smiled and pecked him on the lips softly, lingering for a moment or two before pulling away. "Can we go in?"

"Of course!" Charlie pressed the key into her hand and let out a hearty laugh as she took off like a shot towards the front door.

Hermione unlocked the door and pushed it gently open. She stepped inside and for the second time that morning she gasped. The front room was how she had always envisioned her living room to be. There was a small fireplace against one of the walls, with a mirror hanging above it. The walls had been decorated white, with a white carpet to match. There was a light blue rug sitting on top of the carpet. All along the back wall however had a large amount of books along it. She glanced at Charlie, a loving smile on her face

Charlie shrugged but smiled, "I wanted to give you something that you loved. And I know that's books"

Hermione sighed happily, their sofa was in the corner, it was a modern sofa in the shape of an 'L' but also had an arm chair in the opposite corner of the room which was draped in a lovely and cosy looking blanket. Her eyes scanned the rest of the room and Hermione couldn't believe how much it suited her taste. "Charlie, you've outdone yourself. This is perfect" She smiled, hugging her fiance again. "Thank you"

"You're welcome Hermione, I wanted to do something special for you" Charlie smiled, "Now, let me show you the rest of the house"

Hermione and Charlie had just left their bedroom, she was ready to go back downstairs but Charlie stopped her by tugging on her hand gently. "Wait a moment, there's one more room I would like to show you"

Hermione let Charlie pull her towards a dark brown wooden door at the end of the hall, she raised an eyebrow at him as she outstretched his arm, allowing her to do the honours. She smiled and pushed the door open gently, feeling the wind being knocked out of her as she done so. The door swung open to reveal an almost identical replica of the Hogwarts Library. It was of course, not as big but there were numerous bookcases all lined up, and even more were stacked on the wall. Hermione felt the tears welling in her eyes as she looked back at Charlie.

"I heard from a birdie that one of your favourite rooms at Hogwarts was the castle" Charlie smiled and stepped into the room, "It also happened to be one of mine. I used to go there all the time to read about dragons" He sighed happily and caressed one of the bookshelves. "You can thank Professor McGonagall for this one"

"She really helped you with this?" Hermione whispered, feeling even more in shock now.

"She did" Charlie nodded, "I owled her a few weeks ago to ask for her help, I couldn't believe it when she replied with a date and time she could come. She was more than willing to do anything for you Hermione" He smiled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, they both stayed silent for a moment, feeling in awe of everything that Charlie and his family had done. Hermione made a silent note to make sure she thanked each and everyone of them, especially Professor McGonagall who she ensured to write a lovely thank you letter once she got back to the burrow.

"Thank you for everything Charlie" Hermione glanced up at him and smiled, her heart swelling with happiness

"Anything for my bookworm. Now, come on and lets get back" Charlie chuckled, glancing at the time and seeing it was nearing 11am. "I'm sure Mom and Ginny are dying to hear about this, plus as it is our wedding tomorrow they want to properly get you prepared and get the finishing details added to everything"

Hermione nodded, but before either of them moved she tugged Charlie's shirt which made him look down at her. She grinned before capturing his lips with her own, they shared a long, passionate kiss but it was Charlie to break away first, feeling slightly flushed and breathless he tugged his shirt down again and smirked at Hermione. "I'll make sure to surprise you more often if that's the reaction I get" He teased

Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled, "You Weasley men" She whispered as she left the room with a love struck Charlie following behind her.


	13. The Big Day - Part 1

**Chapter 12 -**

 _Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet._

– Plato

Hermione stared at herself in the mirror as Ginny, Mrs Weasley and Fleur danced around her trying to get both her and themselves ready for the wedding. She was beginning to play with the hem of her silk dressing gown, which Ginny had decorated on the back with 'Mrs Weasley to Be', and that's how she knew she was getting nervous. She caught the eye of Ginny who was busy styling Hermione's hair, she nodded silently before turning round to her Mum and Fleur.

"Mum, Fleur, do you mind giving me and Hermione a moment alone? You can take time to get your dresses and make up sorted?" Ginny asked politely

"But Ginny! We have so much to do to get Hermione ready" Mrs Weasley stared her daughter in the eyes but was met with a raised eyebrow, she glanced at Hermione and suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to hug her soon to be daughter-in-law. "Oh alright, we'll give you a few moments together" She smiled and patted Hermione lovingly on the shoulder before taking Fleur out of the room.

"What's on your mind Mione?" Ginny asked, continuing to style her hair

"I'm so nervous Ginny" Hermione replied truthfully, she had never felt this nervous before. Well, she had felt so nervous and scared during the battle of Hogwarts but this was something different. She was spending the rest of her life with Charlie and that terrified her. All she wanted was to make him as happy as he made her, but she knew how controlling she could be and the truth was she was a goody-two shoes, know it all who loved to live by the book. But since this marriage law Charlie has been helping her to find her other qualities. One's that she never knew had been there before.

"Oh Mione, there's no need to be nervous" Ginny chuckled, glancing at her friend in the mirror. "You know Charlie will take great care of you, and you will take great care of him. You two have waited so long to find someone suited to each other who knew that you's would be right under each other's noses the whole time" She smiled, making Hermione laugh in return

"True" Hermione nodded and sighed, "I just want this to work out. I've always envisioned only marrying one person in my life and I don't want anything to happen to make us split or make Charlie want to leave after the minimum time is up"

Ginny understood her fears, she too had felt like that before marrying Seamus but once she walked down that aisle and saw him face to face she couldn't have felt more happier if she had tried. "Listen, it's going to be okay. You know you don't have to worry about anything like that with Charlie. You two are so smitten with each other, it's adorable!" She grinned, finally finished placing Hermione's hair into a soft curled up-do, she slowly placed the veil on her hair and beamed. "You look amazing Hermione!"

Hermione blushed, playing with the hem of her dressing gown again before taking a deep breath. "I feel like I'm about to take a test that's how excited and nervous I am!" She laughed

"You were excited to take tests?" Ginny raised an eyebrow before shaking her head, "What am I saying. Of course you were excited to take tests, you're Hermione Granger!"

The girls glanced at each other before bursting into laughter, Hermione stood up from her chair and enveloped Ginny into a tight embrace. "I'm so glad I'm about to be your sister"

"It's about damn time too!" Ginny yelled, "Now, I'm pretty sure my mother is outside of this door, pointing at the clock on the wall and muttering about how long we're taking so let's let her back in and get you ready"

Meanwhile, across the hall Charlie was in his room with Bill, playing about with his bow tie and frowning when it didn't stay in place. Bill watched with an amused smile on his lips as his brother fussed about how he looked. "Come here brother" He chuckled after a few moments, Charlie turned towards him just in time for Bill to flick his wand and his bow tie to magically straighten itself.

"Better now?" Bill teased

Charlie threw him a steely glare before nodding, turning back to look at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a muggle suit, and all he knew was that Hermione was wearing a muggle dress. They had both decided to honour both the wizarding and muggle traditions of a marriage. They were going to have a muggle ceremony with a magic flare at the end of it. And the ceremony was going to be magical.

Charlie could feel his heart beating fast under his chest, he felt like he was about to pass out he was that nervous! He jumped slightly as Bill placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down Char and take a deep breath"

Charlie nodded and followed Bill's instructions, repeating the cycle for a few moments before he felt himself calming down. "Thanks Bill" He smiled, "I can't believe I'm this nervous! A woman has never made me this nervous before"

Bill chuckled, "That's how you know you've finally met your match. And what a bloody good one she is too" He smiled at his younger brother. "Honestly Char, you and Hermione deserve each other. Not only have you both been waiting for years to find the right person but you are both clever, smart, strong and funny. You both keep each other on your toes, but at the same time are completely honest with how you feel. Hermione is a brilliant girl, you deserve her, and you are an amazing man. Hermione deserves you too"

Charlie blushed, it had been so long since he and Bill had shared a deep conversation like this. But this conversation was special to him, Charlie had never been in love before. He thought he had, but it was more lust than anything. Just a pure physical attraction. But with Hermione, she was everything he could ever dream of. She was witty, smart and pretty rebellious from the various stories she had been telling him. Some of which Harry and Ron didn't know of. She cared deeply for his family and that was one of the most important things to him. He was a family man, always looking out for his parents and siblings, even Percy although he could be a giant prat at times. And he had always wanted a partner that could share that with him. He knew how hard it had been for Hermione during the war, having to erase her parent's memories and never really knowing the truth as to what happened to them.

The Weasley's had encouraged her to go and find them but Hermione disagreed, feeling that if she were to reverse their memories they would never forgive her for her ultimate sacrifice. She felt it best to leave them where they were safe and happy. Charlie felt a pang of sadness as he realised that Hermione wouldn't be able to walk down the aisle with her father, from what she had explained to him and what he had heard from Ginny, a father walking his daughter down the aisle was a very emotional moment. And it was upsetting that Hermione couldn't get to experience it. But he was going to make this day the most amazing and wonderful day for Hermione, he wanted to make sure that no matter what she was always happy and smiling. And he would go to the end's of the earth for her.

"Earth to Charlie" Bill laughed, waving a hand on front of Charlie's face, an even bigger grin spreading across his face when he saw Charlie jump.

"Sorry" Charlie smiled, "I was just thinking about Hermione"

Bill nodded, "I'm sure you were. You were just standing there with an incredibly love struck expression on your face" He dodged another one of Charlie's slaps and smiled.

"Now, before we go downstairs to wait for your bride to be to arrive. I have been instructed by Ginny, and also Ron, Harry, Fred, George, Seamus...And whoever else, the list was honestly too long for me to remember all of the names" Bill waved his hand nonchalantly and stood to his full height, looking Charlie in the eyes and putting on his best big brother act he could muster. "I am obliged to give you the talk"

"The talk?" Charlie questioned, only receiving a nod in return

"Indeed, the talk" Bill repeated. "Charlie, if you were to ever hurt or harm our dear bookworms head or heart, then you will be hexed into oblivion" Bill broke character for a moment and smiled, "Ginny wanted you to know that she's made an improvement on her bat bogey hex" Bill had to stifle a laugh as he saw the colour drain from Charlie's face momentarily. "Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, if you cause anything to warrant heartbreak or sadness into Hermione's life then our Mother will certainly give you a stern talking to...And who else knows what else she has in store" Bill grinned cheekily

"All we are saying is, don't hurt Hermione. And I have on good authority that Hermione has been given the same talk that I've given to you from our dearest and only sister, Ginny"

Charlie chuckled, he could only imagine the show Ginny must have been put on while delivering that speech. "I promise brother that I will not harm or hurt Hermione. She means the world to me and all I want to do is bring her happiness"

"Wonderful!" Bill cheered, "Now lets get you downstairs, mingle with the guests a bit, have a firewhiskey and then wait for your blushing bride to arrive" He clapped Charlie on the back and walked out of the room, he was too busy skipping down the stairs to notice that Charlie had wandered towards the girls bedroom. He knew that Ginny had cast a silencing charm on it,she thought that the girls should have the upmost of privacy while getting ready.

He pulled a rectangular box from his pocket and knocked on the door softly before announcing it was him outside. The door was pulled open ever so slightly and the face of his Mother shone through. "Charlie?! What are you doing here? You are not to see the bride before the wedding! No go off downstairs. She'll be coming down soon"

"But wait Mum! I have something that I want you to give to Hermione for me" Charlie smiled and handed his Mum the box. She glanced at the box curiously and pulled the lid open to have a look for herself, as soon as she saw what it was inside her eyes filled with tears

"Oh my boy" She whispered, shimming out of the door frame to wrap her son in her arms. "You are so thoughtful. I'll make sure she has it on" Molly patted Charlie on the cheek before disappearing back into the room. Charlie smiled, knowing that his Mother would keep to her word. He turned from the door and went downstairs to join Bill, George and Fred in a glass of firewhiskey before the ceremony

Molly closed the door softly and turned back round to Hermione, the tears finally falling as she gazed at her. "Hermione, dear. You look absolutely beautiful"

Hermione spun round to face Molly, her dress had been one that she didn't think she would pick. She had never thought of herself as a ball gown or princess dress type of person. But when Ginny picked the dress out in the store for her and she had tried it on, she knew it was the one for her.

The dress itself was white, it had a lace bodice, with short sleeves that only covered the top of her shoulders. The lace covered the top of the dress and before reaching the skirt, there was a small diamond band tied around her waist. The dress then flowed outwards, it wasn't too big but it wasn't small either. The bottom half of the dress was plain, she hadn't wanted too much lace on the dress as she thought it would look gaudy. Her hair was pinned into a simple curled up do with the thanks to Ginny who had spent the majority of an hour still trying to tame her hair, although it wasn't as bushy nowadays sometimes Hermione still had a bit of trouble trying to hold it down.

Her veil was pinned neatly into the back of her, and flowed down to her mid-back, again she didn't want it too long as the dress spoke for itself. She truly felt beautiful and for the first time in her life, she was truly happy. Not that she hadn't felt happy, but on her wedding day she finally felt complete.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley" Hermione smiled, glancing at herself in the mirror and not believing the reflection she saw staring back at her. "You done amazing Gin, thank you so much"

Ginny waved her hand while wiping away her own tears with the other, "It was my honour Mione. You look amazing. Charlie's jaw is going to hit the floor when he sees you!" She giggled

"That reminds me, Hermione. Charlie was just at the door, he wanted me to give this to you" Molly smiled and handed Hermione the red rectangular box.

Hermione opened it slowly and gasped at what as inside. Inside the velvet box lay a beautiful silver charm bracelet, there were only two charms on it currently but she knew inside that the rest was to come in her and Charlie's future together. The first charm was silver dragon with a red ruby eye, to show both Charlie and Hermione's love for dragons. The second charm was a silver bookworm wearing a graduation cap, it also had a coloured eye however this time it was the colour of her birthstone. A sapphire. Hermione felt the tears beginning to well up, she didn't want to cry just yet. Ginny who sensed the wave of emotion quickly grabbed a tissue and dabbed under her best friend's eyes.

"Don't you dare cry Hermione! Your make up will smudge"

Hermione laughed at her younger friend chastising her, "I can't help it Gin, the bracelet is gorgeous" She smiled and lifted it out of the box, watching as Molly quickly undone the clasp and fastened it around her wrist.

"I think Charlie meant this to be your something new gift" Molly smiled warmly, patting her hand gently before fixing herself up. She could not wait to stop crying at all of these weddings.

"I will have to make sure to thank him later" Hermione whispered. She glanced up and found Ginny staring at her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Hermione immediately blushed, "I didn't mean it like that Gin" She whispered

"Of course you didn't Mione" Ginny rolled her eyes, picking up Hermione's flowers and handing them to her. "Now, are you ready to become Mrs Weasley?"

"Of course I am, it's been a long time coming" Hermione

"Well come on now girls, we don't want to keep everyone waiting!" Molly smiled, ushering the two girls out of the room, only pausing for a moment to stare inside the room in which they had left. She would always cherish the memories of Ginny and Hermione staying in her together, she would often hear the girls giggling into the night and unknown to them, she would always send a plate of cookies and milk to their door. Molly always knew they had gotten them because she could hear Ginny running to the door every night at 10pm to make sure they were there.

"How time flies" Molly sighed happily, and followed the two girls downstairs.


	14. The Big Day - Part 2

**Chapter 13 -**

Hermione took a deep breath as she stood just behind the entrance of the marquee, she was about to walk down the aisle and the nerves were only hitting her now. Harry chuckled and patted Hermione's shoulders. "Calm down, Mione. Everything's going to be okay"

Hermione looked at her friend, glad to have him there to help calm her down. "Thank's Harry" She smiled, "I'm just so nervous all of a sudden. What if Charlie doesn't like me as his Wife? What if I mess up? What if.. What if" She shuttered, not sure where her rant was going but she was interrupted but Harry placing a finger on her lips.

"Mione, Charlie is smitten with you. He is never going to think that you're a bad wife and you're not going to mess up. Marriage is work, there may be days where you argue but you and Charlie will work through it. Of all the time that I have known Charlie and that I've seen him when he's here, he has not talked about someone or even looked at someone the same way he does to you. You're important to him Mione, and he'll not want to lose you" Harry smiled and pulled his best friend into a hug.

"Thank's Harry" Hermione smiled, giving him a tight hug before pulling away and glancing at the marquee. "It's time, isn't it?"

Harry nodded and held his arm out for her to hold, "It is, and believe me Mione, when you see Charlie standing up there, all of your worries will disappear"

Hermione took a deep breath and linked her arm's with Harry's, she was grateful that she had him to walk her down the aisle, even though she wished it was her father, Harry was a great choice. He had been there for her through School, the war. Everything. Even the nightmares she had after the War. Harry was her family She squeezed his hand and took one last look at him before they entered the tent, her breath hitching as she saw just how many guests were seated in the tent. They were all now standing and watching her approach, her eyes glanced over to the Weasley's and her heart melted as she saw Mrs Weasley with a handkerchief wiping at her eyes. Hermione was just glad to become an official member of the Weasley clan, although before the Marriage Law, Mrs Weasley had always told her that she already was.

Hermione gave her family a loving smile before letting her eyes wander up to the top of the aisle, her breath stopped momentarily as she saw Charlie standing up there, he was standing beside Bill, for a moment they were having a quick conversation but then Charlie saw Hermione and his eyes widened. He couldn't believe at how even more beautiful she was, the dress she was wearing suited her perfectly, her hair and make up done to perfection. She was amazing. And for the first time in a long time, Charlie felt tears beginning to fall. That's how he knew. He knew that he was in love with Hermione. Charlie hadn't cried for the longest time, he knew himself that he would only cry about someone he truly cared about, like his family. He sobbed for a day straight when he thought Fred had died, but when Fred had awakened in the Great Hall the relief he felt was tremendous.

Bill glanced at his brother in surprise, he hadn't expected Charlie to cry, he knew the extent of Charlie's feelings, he had experiencing them when he had first met Fleur and knew it was only a matter of time before Charlie realised just how strong his feelings for Hermione were. Bill conjured up a quick handkerchief and passed it to Charlie.

"Thanks" Charlie mouthed and dabbed at his eyes, he watched as Hermione finally got up beside him and he stepped down to greet her. He shook Harry's hand and smiled. "Thanks Harry"

"Anytime Charlie" Harry grinned and took his seat, watching as Hermione and Charlie took their places at the top.

Hermione grinned at Charlie, "You look incredibly handsome, Charlie"

Charlie blushed but smiled, "Thanks Hermione. You look amazing as always" He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. This time it was her time to blush and Charlie couldn't help but grin, glad that he could still have that affect on her. The couple turned towards the minister and let the marriage begin.

The Minister gave a quick speech to the crowd, welcoming them all in before getting the ceremony started. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to to join this man and this woman in matrimony." The Minister smiled, glancing around at the people in the tent.

"Charles Gideon Weasley, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, to honour her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Charlie stared into Hermione's eyes, smiling widely as he gave his answer, "I do"

The Minister turned to Hermione, "Hermione Jane Granger, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in)matrimony, to love him, to honour him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Hermione blushed under the start of Charlie, but she couldn't help the smile spread across her face, she had waited and dreamed about this moment for a long time, the moment she would marry the man she was meant to be with. Although when she first found out that it was Charlie, she was nervous. She didn't know anything about him, but as the weeks went by and they spent more time together, she knew she was in love with him. And she was truly excited for everything in their future, even as quick as it was all happening. Hermione knew Charlie would be a great Husband and eventually a great Father. "I do"

"Repeat after me" The Minister smiled, turning back to Charlie. "And while you repeat what I say, please hold each other's wrist as my wand casts the bonding charm" Hermione and Charlie both held each other's wrist, watching in awe as a gold link enveloped their wrists, it was like an unbreakable bond, but when the gold link was around them all they felt was warmth and love.

"I, Charlie Gideon Weasley, take you Hermione Jane Grange, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

Charlie repeated the Minister's words, not taking his eyes off of Hermione for a moment.

"I, Hermione Jane Granger, take you Charlie Gideon Weasley, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

Hermione giggled at the end, making their friends and family chuckle as they saw how happy she was getting, Harry watched the couple in awe. He was glad that Hermione had finally found someone to be happy with, that's all he had ever wanted for her.

"Now Charlie, if you would please put the ring on Hermione's finger and repeat after me" Charlie nodded, placing the wedding band on Hermione's finger, gazing into her eyes as he done so before repeating the Minister's words.

"I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love' Charlie pushed the ring fully down to sit on her finger, his heart swelling with love as he realised that Hermione was now his Wife.

"And Hermione, if you would do the same" Hermione took Charlie's ring from the pillow that Bill was holding, smiling at the older brother with thanks before delicately placing the ring on his finger.

"I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love" She pushed the ring fully down onto his finger and then took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. Charlie grinned at her, returning the affectionate squeeze before they both looked at the Minister again

"By virtue of the authority vested inme, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The Minister grinned and looked at Charlie, "You may now kiss the bride"

Charlie couldn't help it, he had been waiting for so long that he almost threw himself at Hermione much to the laughter of their family and friends. He placed a hand at the nape of her neck and placed his lips to hers, enveloping her in a passionate kiss. Although the crowd were cheering and clapping, to Hermione and Charlie they were the only ones in the room as they enjoyed their kiss. After a brief few moments they broke apart, resting their foreheads against one another.

"I love you Hermione"

"I love you too Charlie"

Author's Note - Sorry for the long wait! The Reception party will be included in the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy!


	15. The Reception

**Chapter 15 -**

"Attention everyone!" Mr Weasley amplified his voice to ensure that he could be heard, the Reception was just getting underway and he couldn't be more proud to announce the happy couple in for the first time as husband and wife. "It is my pleasure to introduce you to, the new Mr and Mrs Weasley!"

Charlie and Hermione entered the newly decorated marquee to a thunderous applause, Hermione could feel the heat in her cheeks already as they made their entrance. She had never really been one for grand entrances or much attention on herself but she was just so happy and on cloud nine that nothing could ruin that. Without warning, Charlie suddenly twirled Hermione onto the dance floor and into his arms, Hermione hit his chest with a small thud but grinned up at her new husband. "Wow, my husband has moves"

Charlie chuckled, feeling himself flush this time. "He certainly does" He winked as their first dance song began to play. "Thank you for such a wonderful day Hermione"

"No, thank you Charlie" Hermione smiled, letting her hands play with the small tufts of hair at the nape of his neck. "It's been a wonderful and beautiful day. Right now, I couldn't have imagined it with anyone else" She admitted. At first when the marriage law had been announced, she had found it hard to fathom that she would be forced to marry someone, especially if it had been someone she didn't know. Of course when she found out she would be marrying Charlie, she was still scared. He was older than her, had a job over in Romania and only ever met her as the bushy haired and large toothed 14 year old at the Quidditch World Cup, but he had been amazing, making her feel at ease and treating her how she always wanted to be treated.

"I know how this wasn't something either of us were looking forward to, or how we necessarily wanted things to happen like this but I'm glad it did, and I'm glad that I have gotten to know you, I couldn't imagine anyone else to be partnered with" Charlie kissed her cheek softly, spinning her once again as the song came to a finish.

After their first dance it seemed like the rest of the night went by in a blur, there had been so many people that Hermione was speaking to and so many congratulations. She finally understood why wedding's were so stressful and how burnt out you got by the end. But as the night came to a close she found herself standing on top of the hill just beside the burrow, staring up at the moon. She was so grateful that she still had her life to lead after the second Wizarding war, although at times she still had the nightmares or flashbacks to the cold, lonely nights in the tent in the forest, she was happy that peace had finally been restored.

A gentle breeze brought her out of her thoughts and she wriggled her now bare feet in the grass, sighing at the pleasant feeling it brought her. She heard someone approaching from behind and turned to see that it was Harry. "Oh, hi Harry" She smiled

"Hey, Mione. What are you up to?"

Hermione shrugged, "Just staring at the stars and feeling grateful for everything. I'm very lucky to have been paired with Charlie, and to feel the way that I do" She smiled, "I couldn't imagine what I would have done if I had of been paired with someone else" Hermione shivered at the thought.

"Yeah, I think everyone is glad that the matches have been pretty good. Whoever the matchmakers were have certainly done a great job" Harry smiled, looking out over the hill and down into small village of Ottery St Catchpole, appreciative of the fact he could now do this without worrying that someone would find him and kill him.

Hermione nodded in agreement, the breeze once again making her shiver, "I think we should head back inside. I need to say goodnight to everyone before..." She paused, her cheeks tinging bright red as she realised what now had to happen.

"Hermione?" Harry looked at his best friend in confusion and slight worry, it wasn't often that Hermione would stop speaking in the middle of a conversation. "Uh, Mione?" He shook her shoulder gently, trying to wake her from whatever thought she was having.

"Merlin's beard!" Hermione half yelled, causing Harry to jump back in surprise.

"What are you on about Mione?"

"I have to have sex with Charlie Weasley!" Hermione felt her face burning red, her heart hammering in her chest as she realised that in the next hour or so they would be back at their home for the night and they had to consummate their marriage together. Harry blinked in surprise, even feeling his cheeks turning warm all of a sudden. Out of all the things he had expected Hermione to say, that had not been one of them.

"Oh! Uh...I don't know what to say" Harry stuttered, scratching the back of his neck nervously

"Oh Harry" Hermione buried her face into her hands, "I'm still a...you know what" She muttered

"What was that? I couldn't hear you" Harry nudged his friend, trying to get her to look at him again

"I'm still a virgin, Harry" Hermione hissed

Harry froze, now he was really unsure of what to say. He shuffled awkwardly, wishing that the ground would swallow him now. "Uh, don't you think Ginny would be the right person to speak with about this...stuff?"

"Of course I would, but if you haven't noticed the one, tiny, very important detail"

"And what would that be?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, honestly you would think he would have noticed. "I don't really want to talk to my girl best friend about shagging her brother!"

"Oh" Harry was at a loss for words, he had actually forgot about that for a moment and now he felt terribly stupid for even suggesting that she talk to Ginny.

"Okay, well in that case.." Harry sighed, "Just be yourself Hermione, and tell Charlie the truth. I'm sure he'll understand, hasn't he understood a lot of the issues you've had before?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well then, there you go. The best person to talk to this about would be Charlie, your Husband. And I'm sure he'll be...uh...How to phrase this?" Harry frowned, he didn't want to come across rude or inappropriate despite the conversation they were having. "Experienced enough to know what you would like?"

Hermione gulped, feeling an involuntary movement in her gut, "I feel like I'm going to be sick. This is like having the talk with your Dad but much more embarrassing!" She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "But okay, I'll do as you say and I'll just be honest with Charlie, that's the best thing to do. Be honest" She tried to keep repeating it to herself to try calm her down but all it done was made her more nervous. Harry took her arm gently and guided her back to the marquee.

"Honestly, Mione. Just take a few deep breaths and you'll be okay. Just try not to think about it right now"

Hermione nodded, "Try not to think about it" She repeated, again taking a few deep breaths to calm the nerves. As they approached the inside of the marquee she noticed Charlie, he was laughing at a conversation he was having with Bill and when he caught her eye, Hermione felt safe and protected. She felt the nerves disappear temporarily and smiled back at Harry.

"Okay Harry, I think I can do this" She smiled

"Good" Harry hugged his best friend and ushered along, "Now go back to Charlie, he'll want the last dance with you"

Hermione nodded, saying goodbye to her best friend again before practically skipping towards Charlie.

Harry sighed, "I need a fire whiskey after that"


	16. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 16 -**

"You ready to go Home, Mrs Weasley?" Charlie smiled, no matter how many times he said that it still wouldn't sink in. He had a wife. Charlie Weasley was now a married man. All the guys back on the reserve in Romania would have laughed at anyone who said that Charlie would get married.

"A rouge bludger would get married before Charlie does!" He clearly remembered the day that his friend, Roy had shouted this, quite loudly in the dining hall too. The rest of the crew laughed themselves horse but Charlie knew deep down it would take a special girl to tame him. And he finally found that girl in Hermione. Charlie knew he was lucky, and he vowed to himself that no matter he would always remember that and always treat Hermione how she deserved to be treated. As he noticed the nervous look on Hermione's face he couldn't help but chuckle, he held out a hand to her and smile lovingly as she took it.

"You don't have anything to worry about Hermione. I don't bite" Charlie smirked, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Much" And with that, Hermione once again looked a bright red tomato.

The newlyweds apparated back to their new home, grateful to have a quiet night to themselves. As soon as they got inside Hermione kicked off her heels and sighed as she rested on the comfortable sofa. "What a day" She smiled as Charlie took a seat beside her.

"What a day indeed" Charlie agreed, conjuring them both one last glass of champagne from the kitchen. "I loved every minute of it"

"As did I" Hermione smiled, attempting to press a soft kiss to Charlie's cheek but was pleasantly surprised when Charlie captured her lips with his own. As soon as their lips met Hermione felt herself melt into the kiss and felt her worries melt away with it. It was a few moments before they both had to break for breath, somehow Hermione's hands had ended up clutching Charlie's crisp white shirt and turning it into a wrinkled mess.

"That's not going to get old anytime soon" Charlie grinned, running his hands through the pieces of Hermione's hair which were starting to fall loose.

"Charlie, I have to tell you something" Hermione whispered, feeling the nerves build up again

Charlie quirked an eyebrow, "You can tell me anything"

Hermione nodded, biting the bottom of her lip and not noticing the look of desire that formed in Charlie's eyes. "I'mstillavirgin!" She rushed out

Charlie blinked before laughing, "I'm sorry love but I didn't quite catch that"

"I'm...still a virgin" Hermione dropped her hands from Charlie's shirt and looked down at her white dress, wishing the ground would swallow her whole. She had expected Charlie to laugh and to make fun of her for still being a virgin but she was pleasantly surprised when he didn't. Gently, Charlie titled Hermione's head back up so she could meet his eyes, she gazed into his own and saw the understanding he held for her.

"Hermione, you don't need to be embarrassed" Charlie smiled, stroking her cheek softly, "Even before the wedding I knew this part would be something that you would be nervous about but I promise you, I'll not hurt you. The first time for you, it may hurt a little or sting but I'll stop and let you adjust. You just let me know what you can and can't handle. It may not be perfect first time but I'll try my best to make sure you enjoy it and that you are at ease and feel comfortable"

Hermione felt the smile creep up on her face, how had she got so lucky with Charlie? She told him the problem and he managed to calm her down and put her mind at ease with a few words. "Thank you Charlie, I was just so worried that...that you'd laugh at me or make fun of me for never...you know"

Charlie shook his head, "Hermione, I would never laugh at you for something like that. I know sometimes I could come across as immature or seem like I have my mind in the gutter but you now know that I'm not that type of person. Family is everything to me and my relationship is everything to me. I will always take care of you"

Hermione felt the butterflies begin all over again, how someone could feel like this about someone she never knew but she really never understood feelings, she was more of a book and logic sort of girl. "I trust you Charlie" She whispered, and with that. Nothing else needed to be said. Charlie captured his wife's lips again before pulling her up to stand, he broke the kiss for only a moment to sweep her up into his arms. As soon as Hermione was in his arms he kissed her passionately again and carried her to their newly decorated bedroom that he was more than happy to christen.

Hermione woke up during the night after a cold breeze made her shiver, it was only then that she remembered that she was naked and curled up in the arms of her also naked husband. A small grin broke out on her face as she looked at the sleeping Charlie, his hair was tousled and slightly falling over his closed eyes. His chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm and Hermione thought that she finally found the definition of peaceful.

She pulled the blankets over her exposed legs and cuddled more into the side of Charlie as memories of their wedding night came flooding. All she could really remember was that once they were in the bedroom clothes were being thrown off and she felt an incredible amount of pleasure.

With that last thought Hermione rested her head on Charlie's chest, her heart warming as Charlie shifted in his sleep, moving into the position that he now had both of his arms wrapped around Hermione and his chin was resting on her head.

"I love you Charlie Weasley" Hermione whispered in the darkness, barely hearing the whispered reply in return before she fell asleep

"I love you too Hermione Weasley"


	17. The Secret Admirer

The next couple of months after the Wedding's had finished were busy to say the least, everyone was still adjusting to their new pairings and new marriages. And for the most part, everyone seemed happy, on the outside at least. They had all tried to attend a Weasley family dinner every Sunday evening, and most of the time they could keep to it but often you find some people occasionally dropping out due to work commitments. But then it started happening.

Pregnancies started happening.

Unsurprisingly the first couple to announce their addition to the family, was Ron and Lavender. From how hot and heavy they had been during their brief time at Hogwarts, everyone could only imagine what their love life must be like now they've rekindled. When Molly had found out the news she immediately burst into tears, crying that her 'baby boy was going to have his own baby'. Fred and George had immediately started taking bets on how long it would take it before Ron dropped the baby.

Almost immediately after, it was Ginny and Seamus who announced they would be bringing a bouncing baby boy or girl into the world. They were soon followed by Angelina and George. Angelina was more than happy to recount the story of when she told George the news and he fainted in the middle of their kitchen. Molly Weasley sobbed for a few days, she had only gotten over the shock of the arranged marriages, and now had to get used to the thought of having 3 grand babies.

It had been at one of the annual Sunday evening dinners when just after finishing dinner, Hermione had found herself distracted from the book she was reading. The cause of her distraction was the three highly excited pregnant woman who were chatting animatedly to each other but their pregnancies. She couldn't help but closely watch the three pregnant ladies who were across the room, she could make out parts of their conversation. Ranging from talking about if they were going to have a boy or a girl, followed by baby names, which was then followed by baby clothes and talk about decorating the nursery. She sighed to herself and tore her eyes away from them to look back down at her book. She had just gotten back into the spot she was reading when she felt the seat beside her dip down slightly, alerting her that she was not alone.

Hermione tore her eyes from the page she was currently on and found her husband smiling at her, she couldn't help but smile back as they stared at each other in silence. Finally, Hermione was the first one to break. "And good evening to you"

"Good evening my sweet wife" Charlie pecked her cheek before draping an arm over her shoulders. "What are you reading tonight?"

Hermione shrugged, "I was trying to read some Sherlock Holmes but I'm a bit distracted"

"By what?" Charlie was curious now, usually nothing was able to distract Hermione from her reading. Not even him.

Hermione shook her head, closing the book over. "It's silly"

Hermione was pleasantly surprised when Charlie didn't laugh, instead he placed one of his calloused hands onto her smaller one, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Obviously it's not silly if it's distracting you

"It's just..." She sighed, "It's Ginny, Angelina and Lavender"

Charlie quirked his eyebrows, that's what was distracting her? "And why, pray tell, are they distracting you?"

"All their talking about baby clothes, and nursery's and baby names. It's all baby this, baby that" Hermione ranted. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for them. I truly am. But ever since they all got pregnant at the same time all they seem to do is talk about babies"

Charlie bit his lip from laughing, he hadn't seen Hermione become this worked up about something since Ron made a prat of himself at a family dinner as usual. Seeing the glint in her eyes Charlie knew not to let out a chuckle. "What has you so worried? Are you wanting to? I mean are you wanting us to start...trying?" He felt his cheeks flush

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, that was definitely not what she expected him to say. "No! No!" Charlie raised his eyebrows, a slight look if disappointment in his eyes. "I mean not that I don't want to...I mean obviously we're going to have to soon because of the whole law issue. But, that's not what I meant" Now it was her time to get flustered, she felt the blush on her cheeks creeping higher and higher, she was pretty sure she looked like a tomato right now.

"Okay" Charlie drawled, a smirk on his face, he wanted to hear her say it. "Then what did you mean?"

Hermione groaned, of course he was going to torture her like this. "Charlie, of course I enjoy being intimate with you. You make me feel really good. But right now, I am not ready to try for a baby, we've only been married a few months"

Charlie felt his grin widen, he pulled her in for a quick kiss and chuckled as her skin flushed even darker. "Don't worry Mione, I know what you meant"

"Good" Hermione sighed. "I just feel lonely from the other girls. I feel like I can't contribute to the conversation because I don't know anything about babies. I'm not pregnant. And as excited as I am for them, I can't be really excited because I don't understand the feeling they're having. I just miss having my girl friends"

Charlie nodded, understanding where she was coming from. The three pregnant women had often been going out for lunch together, going shopping together or even just sitting together at the Burrow when they met up. He could see why Hermione felt lonely. From what he knew Hermione had reached out to Ginny to ask her to come over for tea and a catch up, what that meant he didn't know, all Hermione had said was that it was a Muggle term for girl talk. And what those conversations included he did not want to know. But Ginny had declined her owl, stating that she had plans with Angelina and Lavender. Hermione had been quiet for the rest of the night after that.

"Do you want me to talk to Ginny?" Charlie offered, "She is my sister. Maybe she'll listen to some brotherly advice"

Hermione snorted, "If that brotherly advice is pushing her into a room to make conversation with me then no. I would rather her do it of her own accord. I know I'm being petty, and I don't meant to be. I mean I'm the brightest witch of my age. One third of the Golden Trio. I have a brilliant and handsome husband. But sometimes, a girl just needs her girl friends and right now, I feel like I don't have that because they're all beginning with another stage of their life"

Charlie nodded and pulled her into a tight embrace, his heart ached for her. He always hated seeing her so sad. And even though she told him not to, Charlie would just 'casually' drop into conversation the next time he seen Ginny. "It'll be okay Mione. Once they get over the initial excitement and everything settles in then they'll be back to normal"

Hermione nodded, letting herself relax in his arms before pulling away slightly. "I just need to go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a second" She pecked his cheek and went upstairs to the bathroom. She took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bath, taking a moment or two to herself before she went back down to Charlie and the others. A slight pecking noise at the window made her jump, frowning she opened the bathroom window to allow the small black and grey Owl in. It dropped a letter into her hand and stared at her, awaiting his treat.

"Oh fine you" Hermione muttered, reaching into her trusty beaded bag and pulled out an owl treat for the owl. With a polite chirp the Owl took off into the night sky again, Hermione shut the window and opened the letter. Her eyes widening at the contents.

 _My dearest Hermione,_

 _I apologise for the delay in my response to your last letter. I know we've both had a hard time coming to the understanding of who are partners are. It's been a long and busy few months, with both of us having had our weddings we both long to get out of._

 _I would like to meet with you sometime soon. And I hope that you agree._

 _Maybe with the two of us working together we'll be able to get the law thrown away and the marriages revoked. Maybe we can start again. I certainly remember all the good times we had together. I hope you remember them to my dove._

 _Hope to see you soon._

 _You're admirer._

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and horror, she had completely forgotten about the letter she had sent to him all those months ago after they were told that the Marriage Law would be coming into effect. When he didn't reply she put it to the back of her mind, thinking that he had forgotten about her and she was able to move on into a happy, albiet quick relationship with Charlie. Now she didn't know what to do.

"Oh bollocks"


	18. The Secret Meeting

Hermione stared at the letter in her hand in complete and utter shock, she hadn't expected him to reply, especially after this length of time. She just remembered sending the letter to him in shock and anger after finding out about her arranged marriage and at the time she didn't know who it was going to be. But now here she was, married to Charlie Weasley and somewhat happy, then he has to send a letter like this and potentially screw everything up. She clutched the letter tightly in her hand, knowing exactly what she had to do.

Hermione grabbed some parchment and her quill, writing a quick reply. She had to make this inconspicuous and as a discreet as possible.

 _Dear Secret Admirer_

 _I don't mind the fact that you took longer than expected to reply because, surprisingly, I am enjoying my marriage to Charlie Weasley. Even if it was brought about in such an archaic matter, I wholeheartedly agree that the law should be overturned. It's not fair. People should have the right to find love on their their own, without the unnecessary intervention of the Ministry._

 _I agree to meet up with you, but only on the terms that we are in it to attempt to reverse the Law? We could try find some loophole of sorts to allow the people who are unhappy in their pairings to get out of it. My heart breaks for those in a loveless marriage._

 _Please don't get your hopes up about anything happening between us. That ship sailed a long time ago and I'm happy now. And I hope that we're able to find a loophole in this law so you can be happy again too._

 _Meet at the Leaky Cauldron at 7pm tomorrow night. I'll be the one in white._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Dove_

Hermione took a deep breath as she slipped the parchment into an envelope, she truly hoped this work, she wasn't trying to get herself out of her marriage, Charlie made her happy. But she still found the Law unfair of forcing people into arranged marriages, she understood that the population had declined due to all the losses in the War but surely there should be another way.

As she finished putting the parchment into the envelope she gently opened the door, listening carefully for the sound of footsteps on the stairs, but after a moment or two all she could hear was the quiet echoes of someone laughing. She crept across the hall and found Errol in Percy's old bedroom. Since they had moved out after their wedding Mrs Weasley used the room as an extra storage space, and kept Errol and Pidwigeon here.

"Errol, deliver this immediately and come back with a response. Also, make sure to give the sender a nasty nip for me" Hermione smiled, giving the owl a few treats and watched as he too flew out into the darkness of the night sky. After a few moments, she left the room and joined the others back in the living room, she returned to her spot on the sofa beside Charlie and picked up her book, but again she couldn't focus. And this time, her thoughts were on her secret admirer. A slight pang of guilt hit Hermione in her gut but she knew what she had to do and she hoped that Charlie would understand when he finds out.

The next day seemed to drag on forever, it was as if the heavens were cursing Hermione for going behind her husband's back. She knew she wasn't doing anything bad, but she didn't want people jumping to conclusions. First she wanted to ensure their plan was foolproof and that they had found an actual way to rid the Wizarding world of the magical law. As the clock rung 6pm Hermione felt the nerves wash over her and suddenly she wondered if she actually was doing the right thing, a number of doubts flew through her mind but after calming herself down she knew this was the right thing to do.

She glanced at her outfit in the mirror, it was a plain set of black skinny jeans with a white long sleeved polar neck shirt paired with some knee high boots. She slipped on her jacket before making her way to the fireplace. What she didn't expect to find was Ginny sitting in the living room, trying her hand at knitting a pair of baby boots but failing miserably.

Ginny glanced up from her yarn mess to find Hermione standing before her, looking quite sheepish. "Hey Mione, going somewhere?"

Hermione gulped, she always had been a terrible liar but she had to think of something believable. "Yes, actually" She smiled, pulling her jacket closer to her body. "I'm going to Diagon Alley. Flourish and Blotts are having a late night sale and I wanted to pick up some new reading material"

Ginny paused for a moment before nodding, not even surprised that Hermione wanted to go shopping for books at this time. She would spend all night in a bookstore if she could. "I would offer to come with you but my ankles are so swollen it hurts to walk" Ginny frowned, glancing down at her feet, which now resembled two hams.

"It's okay Ginny, you stay and...uh...Keep practising your knitting"

"Oh do you like it?!" Ginny perked up, holding the bundle of purple wool in her hand. "It's taken me forever to even knit one arm, but it's keeping me preoccupied"

Hermione forced a smile onto her face, "It looks great Gin, you'll have it finished in no time" She glanced at the clock, wanting to make sure she wasn't going to be late. "Sorry Gin but I really have to go now. I'll see you soon"

With that Hermione grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepped into the grating and shouted. "Diagon Alley!"

Bright green flames engulfed her and before she knew it she was being transported through various fireplaces before she landed in the right one. She stepped out and dusted herself off, she had decided to arrive at the Leaky Cauldron, her eyes scanned the scattered crowd sitting in various places but could not find the eyes she was trying to seek. With a sigh she went to take her place at the bar before glancing at the time, it was only 6:30pm so he still had time to arrive.

Knowing that she had time to kill Hermione left the Leaky Cauldron, stepping out into the fading daylight and making her way across to Flourish and Blotts, she did tell Ginny she was going there after all, better to make it the truth so she didn't feel as bad lying to her best friend. She stepped inside and sighed happily at the scent of the books surrounding her. A book shop never failed to cheer her up. She wandered up and down the small aisles before finding a number of books that caught her eye. One in particular was a book regarding Wizarding laws and what would constitute as going against not only those laws, but human rights also.

After thanking the sales assistant she made her way back to the Leaky Cauldron and resumed sitting at the place she had when she first arrived. With still some time to spare she opened up the book of Wizarding laws and began to read. The further she got into the Laws the more interested and curious she become, she hadn't realised how fascinating the laws had been. They were much more interesting than Muggle ones.

Hermione was so engrossed in her book she didn't realise a figure taking the seat next to her, ordering them both a drink and watched her silently for a moment or two. His eyes scanning right from her head to the bottom of her toes. She hadn't changed one bit, and that's what he loved about her. Especially when she was absorbed in a book, she would lean on the palm of her hand, tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and when she was really interested in what she was reading, the tip of her tongue would peak out between her lips.

He sighed wishfully as he took a sip of the fire whiskey that Tom had handed to him, leaning back into his seat and wondered if she would even notice him now that she had a book on front of her.

After what seemed like a lifetime he finally decided to break the silence. "My, my, my. Look what we have here" He smirked as he saw her flinch, her shoulder's tensed and her back straightened up as she realised that she had company.

Her brown eyes met his and he felt the butterflies erupt in his stomach, after all this time she could still make him feel like that. He felt like an idiot though for not responding to her before they were both married maybe then things would have been different. But nevertheless here they were together again, and ready to get back to some mischief like they had done when they were at Hogwarts, although no one else seemed to know about their adventures and truly he didn't mind that. What he did mind was the fact that Hermione had never faced up to her true feelings, and now he was ready to fight for her and for them. Even if it caused a lot of people pain. Both of them knew what pain was but for all the wrong reasons. And he was determined to make it right.

"Let's get to work shall we?"


	19. Unrequited Love

"FRED! GEORGE! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU"

Charlie's head looked up from his book at hearing the harsh yell which most certainly came from his wife, usually when she yelled like that she was not happy. At all. At least it was Fred and George getting yelled at and not him. He heard the thundering footsteps coming down the stairs which were then followed by the two identical heads of red hair which were grinning at him

"If you see your oh so lovely-" George began

"And delightful wife-" Fred continued

"Please do not tell her-"

"Our whereabouts"

Charlie quirked an eyebrow, smirking at his younger brothers. "And why would I do that? I don't want to face the wrath of an angry Hermione. What did you do on her this time?"

Fred winced, not only did they not think of what Hermione's reaction would be, they definitely did not factor Charlie's reaction into the equation either and since he has now grown quite protective of Hermione ever since the Marriage Law came into effect, he was most definitely going to be like a young dragon mother protecting it's young.

"Well that's the thing Charlie, dear brother of ours" Fred plastered a smile back on his face, "We didn't exactly do anything per say"

George nodded, "Exactly! Poor Hermione just happened to walk into the room and accidentally knocked against one of the product boxes that had been sitting by the door"

"And instead of exploding..."

"Or shooting rainbows" George added

Fred nodded in agreement, "Well it gave our dear bookworm a rather...painful gift"

Charlie grew worried, whenever Fred or George used the word painful in a sentence nothing would end well, he groaned and stood up from his place on the sofa. "What did you two dunderheads do this time?"

"I can answer that!"

Both Fred and George jumped from their position at the door and moved towards Charlie as Hermione stood behind them, now sporting a rather impressive but painful looking black eye. And she did not look happy. "Were you making some improvements to your punching telescope boys? Because it definitely hit a lot harder!"

Charlie shook his head, "When will you two ever learn to not leave boxes by your doors? Especially with products like that in them?"

"It's not our fault! She walked into them" Fred protested, ignoring the death glare that Hermione was now sending them.

"We were saving them for Ron, that's why we had them out. Would have gave everyone a right laugh too" George chuckled

"Now is not the time!" Hermione groaned, her eye now felt like it was throbbing. "Can you at least give me some of that healing antidote to take away some of the pain?"

"Right away m'lady" Fred bounded across the room, bending down to reach for hand and placed a chaste kiss before running up the stairs, not long followed by George who copied his brother's movements.

Charlie chuckled as they both left the room before walking over to his wife, placing a gentle hand on her cheek as he inspected her eye. "They definitely got you good"

"Tell me about it" Hermione huffed

"Don't worry we'll get you all fixed up and then we can plan our retaliation" Charlie smirked

"Hmm, some revenge does sound good" Hermione grinned, a silent understanding coming between her and Charlie as they began their plan for a prank war. After another moment or two the twins came bounding down the stairs with the tub of cream to help remove the black eye.

"Here you go Mione, and again we're really sorry" Fred smiled too sweetly at her as he handed her the tub.

"Thank you Fred" Hermione nodded, watching as the twins disappeared back upstairs, she sighed and turned back to face Charlie, holding out the the tub of goop to him and smiled sweetly at him. Charlie who understood the silent message Hermione was giving him, gently guided her to the sofa, once she was sitting down comfortably he began to put the cream around her eye.

"Thanks Charlie, I don't know what I'd do without you" Hermione smiled and placed a quick kiss on his cheek once he placed the lid back on the tub.

"You'd probably be black and blue from their inventions, but I am you're knight in shining armour and I will always be here to help protect you from their evil shenanigans" Charlie bowed making Hermione giggle in response.

"I don't know how to repay you" Hermione wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him

"Hmm, I could think of a number of ways" Charlie smirked and stole a quick kiss. "That was one for example"

"You'll have to show me more later once we're home" She winked, standing from the couch and grabbing her bag from the nearby arm chair.

"Why not now eh? We have loads of time before everyone gets back"

Hermione gasped and swatted him playfully on the arm, "Charles Weasley, we are not going to be getting intimate anywhere in your Mother and Father's house. Plus, the twin's are upstairs and they'll more than likely have Extendable Ears hiding somewhere. I don't want to be giving them blackmail material"

Charlie chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. "But that's where the fun is. Nothing like a bit of danger at being caught doing something you shouldn't in somewhere you shouldn't be doing it. It spices life up a bit"

Hermione snorted and shook her head, "Maybe for you considering you're an adrenaline junkie but not for me" She smiled proudly. "I wouldn't be able to live with the embarrassment if someone was to walk in on us, especially your Mother"

"Fine, fine" Charlie surrendered, "Maybe one day I'll get to change your mind" He winked, stealing another kiss from his beautiful wife before she pulled away

"I have to get going now but I'll meet you at the house for dinner as always?" Hermione asked

Charlie nodded, "I just wish you didn't have to work so late sometimes but I know it'll be for the greater good"

"Exactly, it'll all be worth it. If I can get away early I will but I'll let you know. I love you Charlie"

"I love you too Hermione"

With that Hermione turned from her husband and disappeared through the green flames in the floo, just like the first time she had met with her secret admirer, she found herself in Diagon Alley. The Leaky Cauldron had become a place of solace for them both although Hermione ensured it remained strictly professional at all times. As she entered the dimly lit room and spotted him dressed in all black almost immediately, somethings never changed.

"Hello again" She greeted as she took her place across from him

"Granger" Draco smiled, pushing a cup of fire whiskey towards her. "I had the pleasure of getting you the first drink this time"

"You were early for once then" Hermione laughed, placing her glass to the side as she got her books from her bag. "I still don't know how I feel about this Draco, I mean do we really have to sneak behind everyone's backs? I don't understand why I just can't tell Charlie what we're looking into"

"Come on Granger, you know as well as I do that everyone would freak out. One half of the golden trio hanging out with a death eaters son? That wouldn't make good press would it" He shrugged and took a sip of his own drink

"You know no one thinks of you like that anymore, you've worked hard to rebuild your reputation after what your Father did. You're nothing like him Draco" Hermione smiled comfortingly at him, dipping her quill in ink as she did so.

"Moving on" Draco grimaced, talking about his Father was not one of his favourite subjects so he was eager to begin their meeting. "Have you been able to find anything?"

Hermione shook her head, "Not really no. If anything I've just found out how thorough Kingsley Shacklebolt really is but there has to be a loophole somewhere, he had to overlook something"

"Well, I for one, have something interesting that you might like to know" Draco grinned, almost laughing at the dejected look on her face when she realised that she had failed and he had not, this was the first time he had actually beaten her to something.

"Well go on" Hermione pushed

"I have a little birdie at the Ministry, someone who works on the Wizengamot to be exact, let slip vital information pertaining to the Marriage Law" Draco begin, pausing for dramatic effect as Hermione looked like she was on the edge of her seat, hanging on to his every word

"So? What is it?" She pushed

"Calm down Granger, otherwise people might think you're getting excited for me and not your husband" Draco smirked, throwing a wink at her for good measure.

"Oh you despicable ferret" She hissed, eyes aflame with anger

"Don't call me ferret" Draco challenged, a dark look in his own eyes as they came to an impasse

They both fell silent, neither one wanting to apologise but neither wanting to move on until someone did, finally it was Draco who broke the silence by continuing with his revelation. "Anyway, she let it slip that the Minister actually did not bring the Law to the Wizengamot for them to sign and actually declare the Law as binding, he took it upon himself to pass through an emergency law, without the consultation of any member of the Wizengamot. This emergency law that he passed didn't need any signatures from the council, it was literally his word against anyone else's"

Hermione's mouth dropped open, there had to be some sort of mistake, there was no way that the Kingsley Shacklebolt she knew, the one she fought alongside with, would do something like that. "No, that can't be" She whispered

Draco nodded sadly at her, "It is. the person that I spoke to is in high authority on the Wizengamot. He didn't seek counsel with anyone"

"So what you're saying is" Hermione paused, trying to wrap her mind around the new information. "That Kingsley Shacklebolt took it upon himself to decree this law? He didn't get it passed or put through the right channels. He literally just decided one day that something needed to be done?"

"Pretty much" Draco took another drink of his fire whiskey before sighing.

"So in effect, he has literally decreed this law to save his own skin, so it would make him look better as Minister and to try show the Wizarding world that he was actually doing something to repair the damage done by the War? So he's basically saving his own skin?"

"I would say that sums it up perfectly" Draco agreed, "I think he's been under so much pressure from everyone; the public, his colleagues and everyone else to come up with some solutions for something to be done that in his eyes, this was the best way forward. Yes he may have gotten the best Wizarding match makers in the world to make it seem fair but realistically it still isn't fair. It's taking away someone's choice to love who they want to. And as my Mother always told me, you can't choose who you love. Love finds you"

Hermione stared at Draco, slightly in awe of the man that he had grown into, he was no longer the Slytherin bully, but now a mature and respectable grown man. And for once, Hermione could say she appreciated that about him. He was now showing his own values rather than hiding behind someone else's. "Look, you know I agree with you Draco" He nodded. "But I am very happy with my pairing. Charlie and I we share something very special. I honestly believe that he and I are soulmates. The way we got together may have been unconventional but I truly do love him and I don't whatever it is we plan to do about the Minster to affect our marriage. You understand that right?"

He watched her as she spoke, he could see the light in her eyes as she talked about Charlie and how he loved him, she truly did care for the eldest Weasley and that killed him. It caused his heart to ache knowing that her affections lay with someone else, and that someone else was now her husband. If he hadn't have been such a screw up during their brief time together then maybe, just maybe, they would have worked out. Maybe he just needed to try harder? There had to be some way that Draco could change Hermione's mind and show her that he was worthy of her love and could give her everything that she wanted. So for now, he plastered a fake smile on his face and nodded in agreement to her words. "Sure Hermione, I understand. And all I want is to get out of this sham marriage that I am because my supposed soul mate wants nothing but my money"

Hermione nodded and began tidying her books away, glad that they had managed to make some progress on their scheme. "Well Draco, I have to get going now otherwise I'm going to be late for my dinner with Charlie. But thanks for proving me wrong" Draco raised an eyebrow at her, confused at her statement. "You proved me wrong about two things, the first was that you've actually grown up. I can see that your feelings and values towards Muggleborns and Half-Bloods have changed, you're not prejudiced anymore, I suppose if you had just had your Mother growing up maybe you wouldn't have turned into your Father so much. You should be proud of how much you've changed and grown into your own person" She smiled

Draco felt his breath hitch, the words Hermione was telling him was something that he had been waiting to hear for a long time, not from her but from anyone really. Now he knew it was true, he really was different and no one would be able to see him as that stupid 11 year old boy at Hogwarts who liked to make fun of people.

"And secondly, you proved me wrong about the fact you could do something if you put your mind to it. You actually beat me at something too which was finding out information. Usually I would have been able to find out something in a nanosecond but I just couldn't get through how tight that contract was" She shook her head but smiled. "Don't worry Draco, we'll get you out of that loveless marriage so you can find the person you truly want to be with.

With that Hermione patted him gently on the arm before waltzing out of the Leaky Cauldron, not noticing how Draco's eyes lingered on her retreating form. Draco sighed, he knew what he had to do. And that was to get Hermione Granger to become his.


	20. The Minister's Downfall - Part 1

"Congratulations!"

Hermione winced as Fred and George lit some fireworks outside as the group inside shouted in celebration, the noise of them combined sounded strangely like nails running down a blackboard, she took a sip of her fire whiskey and looked around at the gathering which called for said fireworks. It was Ginny, Lavender and Angelina's joint baby shower. All three girls were standing together in the centre of the room, draped in sashes that proud displayed the words 'Mum To Be' on them, the only muggle invention that Mrs Weasley seemed to like and pleaded with Hermione to get them for her when they were planning the shower.

It seemed that the Burrow was crowded as ever, Bill and Fleur along with their little Victorie were visiting, even Percy along with his wife had attended. The Weasley's were full of cheer as they chatted about the impending births but Hermione felt like she was isolated from the celebration, not because of anyone else's fault but because of her own. She had been secretly meeting with Draco for too long now and the guilt was beginning to eat at her. She didn't want anyone thinking that she was cheating on Charlie because that was certainly not the case, but she didn't think they were going to react to kindly when they found out she had been working alongside Malfoy to banish the Marriage Law, obviously not for her because she loves Charlie very much, but because she felt like she owed it to Malfoy for some strange and peculiar reason. He did deserve a second chance, it wasn't his fault that he was brought up with his parent's prejudices.

Hermione quickly drained the rest of her fire whiskey and slipped up stairs, not noticing that one pair of blue eyes was watching her movements. She climbed the various stairs until she reached her favourite spot of the house; it was a small nook hidden behind a tapestry that was emblazoned with dragons on it. She stared out at the sunset and sighed as the silence gave her some peace of mind.

Without warning the tapestry pulled open again and she found a very pregnant Ginny sitting beside her, a frown on her face. "I thought I saw you disappear up here"

Hermione forced a smile, "Sorry, the fireworks were getting a bit too loud for me"

"They do get quite annoying don't think? Too bad the twins didn't bring their silent ones" Ginny smiled, staring at her friend solemnly for a moment. Hermione begun to shift under the intense gaze of her friend, knowing she was trying to work her magic to discover what she was hiding.

"What Gin?"

Ginny shrugged, "Nothing, it's just you seem...sad lately. Anytime the family has gotten together you put your fake smile on and pretend like everything's okay when it's not. Is everything okay between you and Charlie? He hasn't upset you has he? Because I will be more than happy to sting him with my bat bogey hex? Turns out they get a bit more vicious when you're pregnant, I think it's the hormones" Ginny smiled

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, Ginny always knew how to cheer her up. "No, Charlie hasn't upset me don't worry. He's been perfect, as always"

"Then was it?" Ginny questioned, concern etched on her face

Hermione pursed her lips, unsure whether or not to tell Ginny the truth, she hated it when people are angry at her. "Do you ever feel like doing the right thing could be the wrong thing?" She glanced to see a puzzled looking Ginny. "It's hard to explain, but what if I was doing something which I knew was right for a specific person because I owed it to them, but it wasn't right for everyone else?"

"Hermione, you're speaking in parseltongue to me right now, my pregnancy brain is working too slow to try catch up" Ginny laughed

Hermione shook her head and smiled sadly, "Never mind, forget I said anything. You just go back down and enjoy the rest of your party"

Ginny stared at her for a few moments longer before standing up to stretch her swollen and sore limbs. "If you say so, but Hermione, you know you can always talk to me about anything right?"

Hermione nodded, "I know. And I appreciate it, thank you Ginny"

Ginny nodded and with one final look at her friend she disappeared behind the tapestry again to rejoin the party downstairs. Hermione knew she would have to go down herself in a few moments or two but for right now she was content to sit on her nook and enjoy the peacefulness.

 **Next Day -**

Hermione stared at herself in the mirror of her and Charlie's bathroom, she was dressed in a deep red dress that fell to just about her knees which was paired with a black blazer jacket and some flats, she would have wore heels but they hurt her feet too much. Today was the day that Draco and herself were going to confront Kingsley Shacklebolt about his betrayal to the Wizarding World, they had managed to gather some proof of what he had done thanks to Draco's contacts within the Ministry and knew that he would have no where to hide once he was confronted. She still didn't know if this was the right thing to do or not, but in her gut she knew she should be helping Draco, even after everything he had put her through before they had their brief relationship, she still cared for him as a friend and wanted to make sure he was happy.

As she was staring in the mirror she didn't see Charlie walk past the door, before doing a double take and entering the bathroom, he whistled in appreciation of his wife, who was looking radiant as always. "And where, my dear, are you off to today looking so beautiful?"

Hermione blushed but smiled, "I'm going to the Ministry, I have an appointment with the Minister to discuss some...job opportunity" She lied smoothly, her heart falling to her gut as she saw Charlie's seductive smile turn into one of pure pride. She really hated lying to him.

"Oh Mione! That's great. I'm so proud of you" Charlie grinned and pulled her into a tight hug before snogging her senseless.

Both pulled away when they needed to catch some breath, Hermione was flustered; her cheeks a bright red and her jacket half of her shoulders while Charlie's shirt had somehow opened a few buttons and his hair was running wild after Hermione's hands had been in it. "I should get a job interview more often" She grinned teasingly, much to the pleasure of her husband.

"I agree, I would definitely like to experience that reaction some more"

"Maybe later tonight Mr Weasley as I am now running behind schedule" Hermione stood on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to the side of his cheek before dashing out of the room.

"I'm counting on it" He yelled after her, chuckling as he got an excited reply in return.

Hermione made it to the Ministry with 10 minutes to spare, and it was just by chance that as she clambered into lift, her eyes connected with the grey steely ones she had gotten used to seeing again. She smiled and made her way to the back to stand beside him.

"Hi Draco" She greeted

"Granger" Draco smiled back at her, his eyes falling to her lips momentarily before he started to laugh quietly

"What's so funny?" She frowned at him, glancing down at her outfit to make sure she hadn't spilled anything on it

"Oh nothing" Draco shrugged before leaning down to whisper in her, "It's not like you look like you've just been shagged or anything. Your lipstick is smeared on your chin and your hair is looking how it did back in first year. To myself and anyone else it looks like your husband has had his way with you"

Hermione gasped, pulling out her small compact mirror from her bag to stare at her reflection, hoping that Draco had been joking, but when she saw her reflection, she knew he had been telling the truth. Her nude lipstick was smeared across the sides and almost on her chin, and her once straight hair was now turning frizzy again. "Damn it Charlie" She growled, not that she was complaining because she certainly enjoyed getting to kiss her dragon tamer. But today was an important day and impressions mattered.

She quickly wiped off her remaining lipstick before reapplying it and used a quick styling charm on her hair to make it look a bit more presentable. Hermione looked back at Draco for approval, he nodded and smiled at her, signalling that she did indeed looked presentable once more.

Finally it was their stop, they pushed past the crowd in the lift and stood in the atrium, both adults having their own overwhelming feelings of being back in a place that held so many horrid and violent memories, they glanced at each other both silently glad they had each other for company before making their way to the secretary's desk.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, how can I help you?" The woman looked up at them both, her glasses teetering dangerously on the end of her nose as if they were ready to fall at any moment.

"We're here to see the Minister, we have an appointment booked for 11am" Hermione smiled

"What's the name?"

"Hermione Granger"

The woman stared at her for a moment, glancing between her and Draco as if she had recognised them, Hermione really had to control herself from not rolling her eyes, ever since the War she had hated being recognised as one third of the Golden Trio or the brains behind the group. She was just simply a young woman who, alongside hundreds of other men, women and children, fought in a war. She just so happened to be the best friend of the person who vanquished Voldemort once and for all.

Draco on the other hand knew the look of disgust in the woman's eyes as she stared at him, he had truly been working so hard to rid himself of the reputation that his Father gave him, he didn't want to be known as the son of a Death Eater or as a Death Eater himself considering he was forced into being branded with the mark. All he wanted was for the prejudice surrounding his name to disappear so he could live a normal life, just for once.

"I'll let the Minister know you've arrived" She smiled before directing them to a waiting area.

They both took their seats, falling into silence as they watched the workers going about their day, some looked ready to run for the hill as they practically ran to their offices with a mountain of paperwork clutched in their warms while others were stopping to have a general chat before going about the rest of their day. After what felt like an eternity Hermione's name was called forward, with a reassuring look from Draco they both made their way to the office.

When they entered the room Kingsley had his head buried in paperwork, looking increasingly agitated with every passing moment. After a moment or two just staring at him, Hermione summoned all of the Gryffindor courage she had and placed her briefcase on his desk, quite loudly to get his reaction.

With a huff, Kingsley reluctantly looked up from his papers, only to be surprised at the two people that were now staring at him. "Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy. This is a surprise, not only to see you in my office but to see you two together" He smiled, only for it to falter a moment later at the words that came out of Hermione's mouth

"Sir, we're here to talk with you. About the Marriage Law and how it came about"

Kingsley gulped, seeing the determined look in his eyes, he knew this was going to be a challenging discussion and he was afraid to say that it was one he may not win, but he would try his best.


	21. The Minister's Downfall - Part 2

Hermione and Draco sat in their chairs just across from the Minister, all three were staring at each other in uncomfortable silence. None of them knew what was truly going to come from this meeting but it would be interesting nonetheless. Hermione was taking her time to gather her thoughts, trying to understand the thought process that the Minister had to go through in order to make the decision without thinking of the consequences.

"Why did you do it Minister?"

Kingsley sighed and leaned against his chair, "I'm sure Miss Granger you can understand why I had to do it. After the War the numbers in our Wizarding community were declining rapidly. I had to take action"

Hermione frowned, "But a Marriage Law? Did you really think that would be the best option. I'm sorry Minister but forcing people to get married to people they may or may not be compatible with is barbaric"

"I had no choice" Kingsley's voice was firm, he knew Hermione was stubborn but he hoped that he could bring her around some to understand his point of view. "Can you tell me that you're not happy in your pairing?"

Hermione knew what game he was trying to play, he was trying to prove that her happy marriage with Charlie would be the same for everyone else. "I'm not going to lie to you. I am extremely happy in my marriage with Charlie, he makes a wonderful husband and best friend. I was lucky. But for many other people that is not the case, take Draco for example. His marriage is not one of love or happiness, it's a sham. His Wife is, in muggle terms a gold digger. After nothing more than his name and money. What kind of marriage is that?"

Draco nodded in agreement, he was truly unhappy in his marriage and it sickened him that there was nothing he could do about it. His free choice was removed from him and he was being forced to remain in a marriage that he did not want to be in. "It's true, sir. Your so called matchmakers clearly did not make the right pairing in my case. And it's not right that we have to stay in a marriage for a certain amount of time and bear so many children before we can choose to leave if we want. What about the people who could be getting abused? It's all well and good that you stated in the law that if anyone was caught abusing their spouse then they would be exiled but that's only if they're caught. What if no one wants to come forward? What if they're too scared to try and get away from their life. That to me, is not a life. It's a fate worse than being in Azkaban"

Kingsley pursed his lips and watched Draco in interest, he knew the young Malfoy heir had never been one to bare his feelings so openly. Maybe after the War it had changed him, just like it had changed everyone. "I'm sorry Mr Malfoy, but this had to be done"

"No" Hermione shook her head, her tone heavy with annoyance. "It did not need to be done. Especially considering that you didn't make the Wizengomt aware of your so called law. As far as I'm aware Minister, any laws or decrees must first be approved by the council, to ensure that it's just and fair. The fact that you went behind a lot of people's backs sounds like this was your own agenda"

Now it was Kingsley who was annoyed, he was basically being accused of treason against the Wizarding community. "Now, listen here Miss Granger. I don't know what you've heard but..."

Hermione cut him off, eyes blazing with anger. "Forgive me for being so blunt, Kingsley. But I believe you are going against human rights with this Marriage Law. Now, I'm not saying that you have to reverse every single Marriage but at least give the people an option for if their not happy. Allow people to annul or divorce their partners. Why should you force someone to stay in a relationship with someone they don't love"

"Because it's for the good of the Wizarding World!" Kingsley bellowed much to the surprise of Hermione and Draco. "I was under immense pressure from the people to make some changes, I was elected to be Minister of Magic because they thought I was best for the job. Change doesn't just happen overnight. People just think as soon as your in power you can start making changes straight away but you can't. It takes time, there's processes and meetings. I certainly did not go behind anyone's back to pass this law."

"It's for the good of the Wizarding World?" Hermione repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. "I really am sorry Kingsley but you're sounding like Voldemort right now" The two men shuddered at his name even after all this time it still didn't feel right to utter the name in public. "You've been corrupted by this power that you suddenly have. The reason why you were appointed Minister of Magic is because you were the best person for the job. You had amazing ideas to help everyone recover from the War but this law, this is not one of them. And to me and Draco, it certainly does look like you have betrayed everyone rather than help them"

"I'm sorry you feel that way Miss Granger" Kingsley sighed, there would be no getting through to the young witch and he knew he was losing this battle. "I ensure you that I did not want to make anyone unhappy, I just wanted to do the best I could to help our people recover"

"You may have thought that was what you were doing" Draco shrugged, "But it's made things worse. Do you really want people to feel oppressed? At the rate you're going, people are going to hate you rather than love you"

"All we are asking is for you to take in people's feelings and their situations because those have certainly not been taking into consideration before this law was put out" Hermione crossed his arms and stared at Kingsley, intending not to move until he budged or they at least made a little bit of headway.

"And what I don't?" Kingsley raised an eyebrow

Draco smirked and leaned forward in his seat, "If you don't, then we will have no qualms in taking our recent findings to the press. I'm sure if we're quick enough we can make the edition for tomorrow and I'm pretty sure it would make the front page"

The look in Kingsley's face was priceless at the mention of the press becoming involved, he frowned further and sweat was beginning to pool on his head, he certainly knew that if the press were to know of this there would be calls for him to resign straight away. And he also knew not to take Draco's threat lightly, the young man never had trouble keeping to his word and if he was truly that desperate to get out of his marriage then he would do anything he could.

"I can just picture it now" Draco smirked and raised his hands in the air, spreading them out as if a title was appearing between them. "The Minister's Betrayal" He pursed his lips before changed his mind. "Actually no. The better one would be. 'The Minister's Downfall'"

"I get your point" Kingsley sighed. "But I really do not appreciate the fact that you are bribing me, the Minister of Magic. If I so choose, I could exile you right now. Then all of this could go away"

Hermione laughed, not like a laugh she would use at one of Fred or George's jokes, but a humourless laugh. "Kingsley, you and I both know that you are not that type of person. Exiling anyone would be the very last resort you would take, you would want to avoid it at all costs. You are also one of the most understanding people I know, so please I urge you to listen to what we're saying. I know that I'm happy in my relationship and with my marriage, at the beginning I thought I wouldn't be. I didn't know what to expect but for me, you got my pairing right. Not everyone has that liberty, maybe some people who were put together are better off as friends and not spouses. Even if people are soulmates it could mean in a friendly way. There's so many scenarios that you need to take into consideration" She was pleading with him now, urging him to do the right thing and at least listen to what they were telling him.

"Like I said before, you don't have to reverse the marriages. You can make an amendment to say that if no one is happy in their marriage they can get a divorce or annulment. Give them their basic human right, their freedom to choose"

Kingsley listened closely to her words, the more she spoke the more he could feel how passionate she was about this issue. Maybe in his haste to push this law through he hadn't truly thought about the effect this would have on the people. He didn't want to hurt anyone, he was just trying to find the best solution to help them. It was only meant to be temporary. After a few minutes of mulling the decision over he knew he was defeated, solemnly he nodded his head before speaking. "Okay, I will take into consideration the concerns and issues you have both raised to me today. I can't promise any kind of outcome but I will do what I can"

"That's all we ask" Draco smiled, feeling slightly better than when he had first came into the office. "Thank you for your time Minister"

Hermione grinned and nodded, "Yes, thank you again for seeing us so short notice Minister"

"Anything for the brightest witch of her age" Kingsley smiled and shook both of their hands as a sort of peace offering before showing them out of the office.

As the pair took their leave and walked into the atrium Draco couldn't hold his happiness and pulled Hermione into a tight embrace, enjoying the feeling of her being in his arms again. As they stood their for a moment to enjoy their brief victory, a bright flash of light broke them from their euphoria. Hermione pulled away from Draco quickly and saw a news reporter from the Prophet before them, a sickly smirk on her face that could rival Rita Skeeter's.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Nothing scandalous if that's what you're trying to think. Draco and I are just friends so you can stop plotting whatever it is in that head of yours and leave us well alone"

"Aren't we touchy" The young woman sneered at her as she quickly scribbled in her notepad.

"Not touchy, just someone with a lot of things to do without some journalist trying to ruin someone else's day. So good day to you"

With that Hermione spun around and made her way to the fireplace, joined shortly by Draco who was chuckling at her outburst. She rolled her eyes, "I couldn't help it. I hate journalists"

Draco nodded, "So do I. I just like it when you bite someone else's head off rather than mine" He smiled

"Other than Ron, and sometimes Harry, it can happen occasionally with other people" Hermione laughed

"Good to know"

The pair arrived back outside the entrance, both feeling better than when they had first arrived. As Draco got ready to leave he turned once more to Hermione and smiled, "Thanks again for all your help Hermione. I really appreciate it"

Hermione shrugged, "It's what friends Draco. You know I can never refuse helping someone, it must be in my genes" She laughed and gave him a brief hug. "I hope everything works out for you, I really do" She smiled once more before telling him goodbye and making her way back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Ginny.

As Draco watched her walk away his smile slipped slightly and he sighed, "I hope everything works out too"


	22. Betrayal

_HAS THE BRIGHTWEST WITCH OF HER AGE GOT A NEW MAN?_

 _A shocking betrayal for the Weasley family today as one of their own seems to have deserted them. Hermione Weasley, nee Granger, was spotted in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic hugging someone who was not her husband, Charlie Weasley. The pair were clutched in a tight embrace as the young male with shockingly blonde hair gazed at her with such adoration in his eyes that it would make any passer by second guess the young Witch's feelings for her husband._

 _Could it be that this bookworm isn't such a good girl after all? Her fellow classmates, Lavender Brown and Padma Patil had this to say._

 _'Hermione was such a prude back at Hogwarts" Padma stated as she twirled a piece of her dark brown hair around her finger._

 _"Yeah she hardly showed any interest in any boy throughout our time at Hogwarts. Well it seemed that way until I was interested in Ronald Weasley during our sixth year. Then she suddenly found him all interesting and wanted to be with him. So to be honest, I'm not really surprised. It's just the poor Weasley family I feel bad for'_

 _There you have it avid readers, Hermione Weasley may not be so innocent after all. No word yet on how the Weasley family are taking this latest emotional blow, but stay tuned as this story develops._

Charlie gripped the Daily Prophet tightly in his hands as he kept re-reading the front page headline, fear and betrayal hit him like a ton of bricks which was soon followed by fury. He couldn't believe it, he just couldn't. There would be no way that Hermione would do something like to him, it just wasn't in her nature. The angry tears began to prick at his eyes and he wiped them away furiously, he didn't want to shed any tears or show any signs of weakness but he couldn't help it. The thought of Hermione betraying him like that was too much to take, in a fit of anger Charlie threw the paper at the window, scaring the small Owl that had been perched outside enjoying his breakfast.

At the moment Hermione was still in bed sleeping and Charlie was stuck in two minds about what to do; he could either stay and wait for her to wake up before asking her about what she's been doing or he could pack a bag and go stay at the Burrow for a few days. The reasonable part of him knew he should stay and talk this over as adults but the angry and hurt part was taking over and all he wanted to do was to leave and not see her for a few days until he had calmed down.

Without another thought he summoned a small overnight bag along with some clothes and books before apparating to his childhood home.

Molly Weasley had been having a fine morning until she ready the Daily Prophet, she knew she shouldn't after all the nonsense they had printed about Harry being a liar and trying to overthrow the Ministry but she still seemed parcel to some gossip every now and then. What she didn't expect however was to find one of her daughter-in-law's plastered on the front page hugging someone who was definitely not her son. She couldn't help but feel a little bit of anger at the photo, even if they were just friends it definitely looked like the young man was enjoying it more than he should be.

However after the whole Triwizard Tournament and the Rita Skeeter incident Molly had learnt her lesson in believing in everything that had been written in that damned gossip column so she was a tad careful in whether or not to believe what had been written. As she tried to get back to her cleaning, a loud nose came from the living room. She turned in time to see a flash of red hair storming into the kitchen with bags in hand. She raised an eyebrow as Charlie took a seat at the table and glared daggers at the table, she sighed.

"Now Charlie dear, what did the poor table ever do to you?" She teased, trying to get at least a half smile from her but it was to no avail.

Charlie continued to glare at the kitchen table, his hands clenched into fists below it. He hadn't felt like this before, there was so much pent up anger and hurt flowing through his body, he didn't know where to direct it. Even though he refused to look up Charlie felt the chair beside him move out from under the table before his Mother lowered herself into it and pulled him into a great big hug.

"Oh my boy"

Charlie sighed and wrapped his arms around his Mother, he hadn't had one of her tight hugs in a long time. "Why?"

Molly shook her head and smiled sadly at him, "Charles Weasley, did I ever tell you about the time when I incorrectly judged Hermione?"

Charlie looked up at his Mother with a questioning gaze, "No, you didn't"

Molly chuckled and released him from his hold before patting his arm gently. "It was during the Triwizard Tournament. Harry was going through that awful time of trying to figure out those clues, dealing with Ron's strop as well his classes" She sighed, remembering the very stroppy and angst letters Ron had been sending her during their fifth year, although she did understand why he felt like that, he had always been in the shadow of someone else especially his brothers and Harry so for once he wanted the spotlight to be on him.

"Anyway, basically Rita Skeeter became the Triwizard Tournament journalist for the Prophet and she begun writing all these stories on Harry and how he must be in pain without his parents. I think once that well dried up and she didn't think anyone was going to keep reading she decided to spice it up a bit and she started including Hermione in those stories"

Charlie raised an eyebrow at his Mother, just wondering where her story was going and how it could relate to what he is going through. Molly shook her head at Charlie and took his hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. "Son, she started writing stories on how Hermione was just using Harry for his fame and that they had been in a secret relationship. She even went so far to say that Hermione was using both Viktor and Harry, that she was seeing them both behind her back"

Realisation dawned on Charlie and he looked at his Mother in shock, "Did you actually believe that rubbish that she was writing?"

Molly nodded sadly, "I did. When I first read the papers that came out I couldn't believe it. You know Harry is like another son to me, he practically is! And even though Hermione is part of this family as well, I don't take too kindly to the thought of anyone trying to use someone else" She sighed, she really had been horrible to Hermione for those few months and she still felt awful about it to this day. "I didn't treat her the same as everyone else for a while; for Easter I even made sure to send her a smaller Easter egg. I knew at the time I was angry at the poor girl but I wasn't going to exclude her. Although what I done probably made her feel excluded anyway"

Charlie squeezed his Mum's hand gently and smiled at her, "You two forgave each other in the end obviously, I'm sure it's all in the past now Mum"

"Oh it is" Molly smiled, eyes twinkling with happiness. "I love that girl like another daughter. But what I'm trying to say Charlie is, don't believe everything that is written in the newspaper. Especially that horrid gossip column, journalists do everything and anything they can to get a scoop and sometimes that means fabricating lies no matter who it hurts"

"So you think the photo isn't the truth then?" Charlie frowned, some of his anger leaving his body but he was still upset and confused about the fact that Hermione had been so secretive.

"I do, I don't think Hermione would ever do that to someone she loves" Molly patted his shoulder gently before getting up from the table and resuming her chores, leaving her son to think about what she had said.

"Can I still stay for a few days though"

Molly chuckled, "Of course you can. But don't take too long though otherwise Hermione is going to come beating down a door to find you"

Charlie couldn't help but laugh at the sight of an angry Hermione storming her way through each room of the house before she found him, even as angry and upset he was right now he knew he wouldn't be able to stay mad at Hermione for long, all he wanted was the truth from her and the truth was what he was going to get, even if he liked it or not.


	23. The Truth Always Comes Out

To say it had been a horrible day for Hermione would be an understatement; not only had she a stressful day at work, this was partially down to the weather along with a number of her co-workers bothering her, but the Daily Property had to go and released a stupid article trying to announce that she had been cheating on her husband. When she noticed the official Owl for the Daily Prophet waiting for her in her office it wasn't out of the ordinary, it was once she saw her face plastered all over the front page that made her day truly rotten. She should have known not to open her mouth to any journalist, friendly or not. She had learnt her lesson with Rita Skeeter, but that day in the atrium of the Ministry she couldn't help but open her mouth and react. The sneer on the woman's face and the twinkle of an idea spawning in her twisted head made Hermione want to defend herself, Draco and what they were doing but turns out that just made things worse.

The pool of anger began to grow larger in her stomach, she ripped the prophet into multiple pieces before throwing it into the fireplace and gladly watched it burn. Her brief moment of happiness was short lived as her office door swung open and hit the wall with an almighty thud, soon enough a barrage of red head heads tumbled through the door and Hermione had been surprised that no one of them had fallen flat on their face. Once they collected themselves then a tidal wave of noise hit her all at once as they tried to talk over one another. The faces of the Weasley siblings were flushed red, in anger and embarrassment, none of them were waiting their turn to tell Hermione off and instead they were barraging her with questions and some rude remarks that Hermione could not quite make out.

Finally Hermione had enough, "SILENCIO!"

The mouths of her unexpected guests snapped shut and the sound of immediate silence was comforting to her, giving her a brief moment to collect her thoughts and construct her argument. She stowed her wand away, crossed her arms cross her chest and glared at her supposed family. "I take it you all saw the Daily Prophet?"

The red headed quintet nodded their heads together while glaring at her, they knew better then to try break her charm while she was looking so calm and poised, that's how they knew they were in the danger zone. But Hermione took no notice and continued on her own tirade.

"After everything we've been through, especially you Ron" Hermione glowered towards her ex-boyfriend. "With Rita Skeeter, instead of asking your friend about this highly ridiculous and obviously fabricated new article, you instead chose to believe this delusional and dim witted reporter. I'm hurt"

The group stared at her in stunned silence, charm or no charm, they were feared to speak in fear of enraging Hermione but after a moment or two it was finally Ginny who piped up first. "You're hurt? You're hurt?! How can you be hurt when you went behind your husband's back? How long has this been going on?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her supposed girl best friend, "Did you not listen to what I said or did your ears just pick out what you wanted to hear?"

Ginny's mouth hung open in her shock, opening and closing for a moment as she tried to figure out what to say but once again Hermione had taken her by surprise.

"Listen to me carefully" Hermione took a step closer to them, her sibling-in-law's eyes drifting downwards to where her wand was to stowed to make sure they weren't in danger of being hexed. "I. Did. Not. Cheat. On. Charlie!"

"Really?" Fred questioned, "You both look awfully cosy in that picture"

"Especially Draco" George added, Fred nodding his approval towards his twin

"I was giving him a hug. Am I not allowed to give a friend a hug in public? Have we suddenly reverted back to the stone age when women weren't allowed to hang out with a guy who was just a friend. Granted we did used to have a thing but I have long moved on from that moment of madness and I've found happiness with Charlie, why would I want to ruin that?"

Hermione was pleading with them but she knew this could go either of two ways, the first would be that they would eventually calm down and hear her side of the story like reasonable people or they would let their Weasley temper get out of control and she would be forced to kick them out of her office.

"Then explain to us why in the name of Merlin's left behind were you with that slimy git?" Ron glowered at her, the tips of his ears tinged pink.

"So eloquently put as always Ronald" Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you would let me explain and without interruptions this time" She glanced around at them, watching them nod slowly in agreement before continuing. "Draco and I, we have been meeting up for a weeks now..."

"HA!" George yelled triumphantly, "So you were cheating on Charlie?!"

Fred elbowed him in the stomach but also made sure to pull George out of Hermione's direct line of fire, "Shut up George, did you not hear her mentioning that she wanted to speak without being interrupted?"

George slumped in defeat and felt his face flush with embarrassment, "Sorry Hermione"

"Thank you Fred" Hermione smirked, "And apology accepted George. But as I was saying, we've been meeting up for a few weeks as way back when we first heard about the marriage law, this was before we got told of our partners. I had sent an Owl to Draco, telling him I wasn't best pleased with the decision. He didn't reply until a few weeks ago and asked me to meet up with him. I agreed on the basis that it would be as friends" She ensured to emphasis the word friends so none of them would interrupt her again.

"Draco had been having issues with his chosen Wife so I said we could meet up and talk about it. Basically neither of us were happy with the Marriage Law coming into effect, I for one was worried about the women or men who were trapped in an unhappy or abusive relationship, I wanted to try and find some sort of solution for them as it wasn't fair to keep them trapped in that kind of relationship. Even if they notified the Ministry of their abusive spouse I highly doubt they would have done anything, even with that stipulation stating that anyone found to be abusive towards their spouse would have their wand broken and would be exiled from the Wizarding community" Hermione took a deep breath, trying to catch her words and making sure she didn't lose them, people tend to drift off when she goes into long rants, especially her co-workers.

"But what has that got to do with Draco?" Ginny asked, quite curious as to why the ferret would need any help

"Because he was and is, unhappy in his relationship. In his words, he thinks his wife is a gold-digger and only wants him for his fortune" Hermione shrugged. "But in no way during the course of our meetings did I say I was unhappy with Charlie, in fact I always spoke highly of my husband and my love for him. I made sure to keep emphasising that to him because although I've moved on, I didn't want him getting the wrong idea"

"Then what about this picture? You do look awfully cosy while hugging him" Bill pointed out, he had actually been the only one to remain quiet so far and for that, Hermione was grateful, Bill was the closest sibling to Charlie considering they were closer in age and she knew how protective Bill was, but she was grateful for the fact that he was actually listening to her story and giving her the time to explain.

"That stupid picture was taken after we had our meeting with Kingsley. Well I call it a meeting but it was more of a blackmail situation"

"Wait, you blackmailed the Minister?" Fred stared at Hermione in awe, how did this one Witch constantly cease to amaze him? Was there anything she couldn't do?

"I didn't, Malfoy did" She smirked

"Of course he did" Ron muttered

"Some journalist took the picture of us hugging because we were celebrating the fact that we had made some progress with Kingsley. He's going to take our recommendations into consideration" Hermione smiled, despite the fact that people were angry at her she was proud of the fact that she could potentially be changing other's people lives and helping them out of dark situations.

"So what, does that mean that all of our marriages are going to be annulled?" Ginny questioned

Hermione shook her head, "No, I told Kingsley that if people are happy with their marriages then let them be and continue on, we don't want to ruin people's happiness. I just want to help people who aren't happy with their partners or their in danger, that's all. So Kingsley said he was going to speak to some people and see what he can do"

Bill nodded thoughtfully, he could clearly see the passion in Hermione's eyes as she spoke at why and who she was doing this for, she was always going to be a saviour in the Wizarding world. And he didn't think she was lying about anything, especially the cheating. "I'm sorry Hermione" he admitted, a sad smile on his face. "I hope I can speak for the rest of my siblings here but we were wrong to jump to conclusions like that. As you know we don't have the best temper most of times and we are a protective lot so when we think one of our own is being betrayed or hurt, well we jump to the defence pretty quick"

Hermione smiled in relief, "Thank you Bill, that means a lot. Do the rest of you still think I'm lying?" she glanced around at her in laws in hope.

Fred, George, Ginny and Ron glanced at each other, guilty for the fact that they had doubted their friend and sister in the first place. Nodding in unison they turned back to Hermione before tackling her in a bear hug, or as much as they could since Ginny's belly was ever expanding as the baby grew. "We're sorry Mione"

Hermione laughed and hugged them back tightly, "It's okay. I forgive you, but just if you ever see another article in the Prophet about me, can you please come and ask me about it instead of jumping to conclusions? It will save me and my poor secretary from the Weasley temper"

"Oh that feels good"

Hermione sighed with relief as she collapsed onto her sofa while pulling her shoes off at the same time, it had been a long and stressful day so she was glad to get home to get some well deserved rest. For a few minutes she just enjoyed the peace and quiet, her unexpected guests had decided to stay for lunch and lunch with the Weasley's was also a loud affair. But as the quietness kicked in she begun to realise that Charlie had yet to come and greet her.

"Charlie?" She called out, not moving from the sofa.

When she got no response she pushed herself off the sofa and took a tour around her own home to try and figure out what her husband was hiding. He wasn't in the kitchen, which was strange considering it was dinner time, he wasn't in the bathroom or the library. Hermione was growing worried until she got to the bedroom, as she pushed their bedroom door open she immediately knew something was wrong. Charlie's draws and his side of the wardrobe had been unceremoniously opened in a haste, various clothing items were spilling out and as Hermione checked behind their bedroom door she realised his favourite bag was gone too.

As realisation dawned on her Hermione's anger from the beginning of the day came flooding back, but there was also an extreme sense of hurt. She knew Charlie would be angry with her for not telling him the truth, she had expected an argument even but for him to just up and vanish from their home with no word or reason why, that hurt her to the core. But she knew exactly where he was and without putting her shoes back on, she stormed to their fireplace to grab a handful of floo powder before stepping into their fireplace. "The Burrow!"


	24. The First Fight

The flames to the Burrow roared to life with a spit of green fire, if anyone had been sitting in the room they would have been flushed with the heat, safe as the flames with floo were not dangerous but just incredibly warm. Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and into the living room of the house she likes to call her second home. The silence that surrounded her was startling, usually the house would be full of life with either the youngest Weasley's running around, the laughter and talk of the family or after the chaos of the chosen prank of the week by none other than the twins. But right now it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

Her anger was raging through her and right now there was a red mist in her eyes as she scoured the Burrow for her husband, but she didn't have to look for too long as soon as she went into the kitchen there he was, sitting at the table by himself staring into a mug. For a moment she just stood there, taking in his features and seeing the sadness in his eyes. She could understand why he was angry, she had went behind his back to help an ex of hers in a plot to try change the Marriage Law in some way. If she had thought logically for a moment about what the consequences of her actions would be that would have been enough to change her mind but the fact of the matter was that she didn't think, instead she went with her heart. Her heart which went out to all of those who were stuck in a loveless or violent Marriage all because of this law, so for once in her life Hermione didn't think logically but instead went with her heart.

It wasn't the fact that he was angry at her that made Hermione made, what made her angry was the fact that at the first sign of trouble in their marriage he instead chose to pack a bag and return home instead of having a disagreement with her. That to her, was the sign of a coward but she knew that Charlie was not a coward, if he was then there would be no way in hell that he would be working with dragons, so what was it about the first sign of trouble in their relationship that made him want to run. Well she was about to find out and Charlie, unknowingly, was about to find out about the wrath of Hermione.

Hermione clapped her hands together and plastered a fake smile on her face, one that would rival Dolores Umbridge's and that was a tough thing to accomplish. She watched as Charlie jumped in his seat before turning in her direction. "So you wouldn't believe the day I've just had" She began as she walked further into the kitchen and stood at the head of the table. "So for once, my day in work was terrible. It started out terrible from the moment I left the house and went down from there. I got into work and had to deal with the most incompetent people. But then..." She let out a bitter laugh and walked around the side of the table so she was now facing Charlie.

"Then I received the daily prophet by Owl post and I unrolled it to see my face plastered all over the front page. Deeming me an adulteress because I was pictured hugging a male that wasn't my husband before I even had a chance to take in what had been written by me I then had a barrage of Weasley's storm into my office, giving my poor secretary such a fright! They demanded why I would ever cheat on you and what was going through my mind. I calmly explained to them that I had not cheated on you and I had instead been pictured with a friend after we had accomplished something which would help the Wizarding community. But we'll get to that later, I managed to calm them down which was a feat in itself considering the Weasley temper. But then we had lunch and I thought my day was getting better" Hermione took a breath as she stared Charlie directly in the eye, tears stinging at her eyes but refusing to fall which she was on her tirade and while she was gathering her thoughts, she saw that Charlie was bewildered and in shock, he definitely hadn't been expecting this outburst so soon.

"But imagine my shock when I get home from a hellish day at work, just wanting to sit in peace and talk everything out with my Husband only to find that he wasn't there? That's fine. But what hurt and killed me the most out of this day wasn't my horrible day at work, it wasn't the damn article written in the prophet and it sure as hell wasn't being confronted by your siblings. The thing that hurt me the most was walking into our bedroom and finding your drawers open, clothes and your bag missing. No note. Just an empty house. That Charlie, killed me the most"

Finally Hermione stopped, her hands were clenched on the top of her chair and she had been squeezing it so hard that there might be splinters now but she didn't care, all she cared about was finding out what Charlie had to say. Unknown to both her and Charlie, Molly had just came in from her shopping trip along with Fleur, Angelina and Ginny, who were now getting along in their pregnancy and were glad to get sitting down until they heard Hermione's voice drifting from the kitchen. The girls glanced at each other nervously and instead of taking their seats they chose to stand by the arched doorway to the kitchen and listened intently.

After Charlie had a moment or two to gather his thoughts and recover after the unexpected rant from his wife, he took a breath and stood from his own seat. "Your hurt? Really Hermione, you're the one hurt? Did it ever occur to you that sneaking behind my back was going to upset me? It must not have because here we are"

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "Of course I'm hurt Charlie! I've just gotten home to talk everything through with you only to find you gone, no note or no explanation. Just gone! Yes, I know what I've done was wrong and I am sorry that I've hurt you, I never wanted that. I was just helping out a friend and helping them with something that is going to help a lot of people in the community. What I was doing was and is not going to effect us. Do you really think I would ever cheat on you?"

"I never used to but now I don't know what to think!" Charlie growled, his temper now matching hers and rising like a dragon's flame, rising higher and higher until it singed someone.

Hermione was stunned, the tears that were stinging at her eyes for so long were now beginning to fall slowly. "Wow" She whispered, not being able to trust her voice until she got herself under control. "So let me get this straight. You see a picture in the daily prophet, you take that ridiculous article written from someone you don't know and who has obviously taken a leaf out of Rita Skeeter's book by fabricating a bunch of lies about someone and you just believe them? You don't think to talk it over with myself but instead at the first sign of an argument or a fight, you grab your clothes and you run?"

Charlie took deep breaths and tried to calm himself down, inside he knew that she was right, as soon as he saw that article he had jumped to the wrong conclusion straight away. He judged Hermione and he thought he would never do that to someone, especially someone he loved and cared for deeply. But on the other hand he was also angry, at both her and himself and he couldn't help that. In this present moment she was judging him, just like he had done to her and being on the other side of it didn't feel so nice. "I didn't run! I...I just needed space to cool down"

"You did run!" Hermione yelled, surprising herself, Charlie and they're guests. "You ran away Charlie. Instead of being a mature adult and talking things over, you ran at the first sign of trouble. I'm not Voldemort" Charlie flinched at the use of his name, he would never get used to it. "I'm your Wife! And if you're upset or angry then you should be able to come and talk to me, not run away like a coward!"

There was a stunned silence as they both glared at each other, they're chests heaving up and down in anger, neither one of them willing to budge in their issue. As they were both trying to gather their thoughts, the front door once again opened and in walked Fred, George, Harry and Ron, laughing merrily and recounting an earlier prank they had witnessed in the joke shop. As they witnessed the girls and Molly surrounding the doorway, they stared on in confusion.

"What's going..." Harry tried to ask but was immediately cut off with Ginny putting her hand over his mouth and telling him to shush quietly, they pulled them over to the door and nodded towards the fighting couple.

"It's their first fight Harry" Molly smiled sadly and patted his cheek lovingly. "The first fight is always the nastiest, hopefully once they both calm down they'll be able to sort it out"

"Good luck to Charlie, Hermione has a right temper" Ron frowned, remembering the various times Hermione had been angry at him, the worst of it had been when she had conjured the birds to fly after him. He hasn't been able to look at a bird in the same way since.

"Can we all be quiet please!" Ginny hissed, the group fell into silence and peered back into the kitchen.

Neither Charlie or Hermione had moved an inch since their fight had started, they were both still glowering at each other and Hermione's tears continued to fall. "A coward am I?" Charlie huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hermione stood her ground, "If you're not willing to face your wife with a problem then yes, you are a coward!"

Charlie laughed bitterly, "I'd rather be a coward then untrustworthy"

That to Hermione was like a slap in the face, her breath hitched and the tears fell harder. How could he call her untrustworthy? She had made one mistake by not telling him what she had been doing with Draco, but she hadn't cheated and she made sure she didn't do anything to effect her marriage. Hermione dropped her hands from the chair and took a step back from the table, she sniffed and wiped at her eyes quickly. On the other hand, as soon as the words were out of Charlie's mouth he instantly regretted them, he didn't find her untrustworthy, in fact he was pretty sure that she had been the most trustworthy person he had ever met. He was just hurt that she didn't let him in on what she had been doing, he understood that now of course after speaking with his Mum and now after Hermione confronted him. He would never understand why he initially thought that Hermione would do something as hurtful as cheating on him, she was and always will be a loyal person. He knew that after hearing all about their adventures in Hogwarts from Ron and then with the Second Wizarding War. Hermione would rather be tortured then betray anyone.

As he watched Hermione's resolve slowly crumble he stepped around the table, ready to envelope her in his arms and apologise for being a jackass but she stepped away from him. His own heart tearing open as she refused his comfort.

"Don't" Hermione sniffed, "I don't want you to touch me"

"Hermione, please" Charlie's voice cracked, this time it was him showing how vulnerable he could be.

"I said don't, Charlie!" Hermione yelled, her tears now full blown, causing her face to splotch red in some places. "If you find me so 'untrustworthy' then you shouldn't come home tonight. I don't want to see you"

With that Hermione fled from the room, not caring that her family had been watching as she pushed past them to get into the floo as fast as she could. Charlie followed right behind her, adamant on stopping her from leaving so they could sort this out, he hated fighting with her, they had both been wrong but he didn't want the fight to continue. He wanted to resolve it. But as he got to the doorway his Mother stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest, she shook her head sadly at him. "Just let her go son, she needs time to calm down and so do you"

Charlie watched in agony as Hermione grabbed a fistful of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace, before she stepped through the fireplace she turned to met his gaze. For a brief moment they both stood staring at each other, both of them wanting to reach out and comfort one another but they knew with how angry they were it wouldn't be right. As Molly had said they needed their time. Without a word Hermione stepped through the flames and all Charlie could do was watch her leave.


	25. The Aftermath

As Hermione got back to her house she slammed the door shut and went to the only place that would give her comfort, their library. She stepped into the library and started to feel at peace, she felt like she had been back at Hogwarts; the various tall shelves stacked with books and the decor were a creature comfort her. She immediately found her safe place which was on a very comfortable sofa which was draped with a large comforter, she took her place on the sofa and wrapped the comforter around herself as she let their argument sink in, her heart broke and her eyes welled with tears that were finally surfacing. The stuff they had both said to each other was so hurtful, could they come back from this? Imagine being married for only a short period of time and having one massive argument causing the end of your marriage. Hermione could just picture the headlines now.

 _ONE THIRD OF THE GOLDEN TRIO'S MARRIAGE BREAKS DOWN: WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?_

 _THE WEASLEY DRAGON TAMER LEAVES WIFE AND SEEKS SOLACE IN ROMANIA_

Or better yet

 _BRIGHTEST WITCH OF HER AGE FAILS AT MARRIAGE_

Hermione groaned, it would be one of her worst failures yet if her marriage ended just because of one stupid mistake, but she wasn't going to let that happen. She loved Charlie, and Charlie loved her and they could work through this, they had to. She knew she had been wrong in lying to him and she knew that she should have told him the truth as soon as Draco had owled her but her fear had gotten to her, and his reaction at the Burrow was exactly the reaction she had been hoping to avoid.

Now everyone was messed up and it was all because of her, she hated herself for it. A the magnitude of what had happened finally hit her, Hermione burst into a fit of uncontrollable sobs, her chest heaving quickly with each deep breath she tried to take but the tears just kept falling and falling. She let out a loud cry before laying herself down on the sofa, clutching the comforter to her as close as she could as the pain overtook her.

As she continued to cry she didn't hear the floo going or the footsteps coming up the stairs and she certainly didn't hear the door to the library opening and closing quietly. As Ginny stepped into the room, her heart ached at the sight of her best friend clearly distraught at what just happened, without hesitation she dropped her bag on the floor and immediately took place beside Hermione, rubbing her back comfortingly and allowing her to cry it out.

Hermione only flinched slightly when she felt the hand on her back, thinking it was Charlie she risked a glance up only to find that it was Ginny beside her, she relaxed ever so slightly but the tears and sobs continued to come, she allowed herself to get it all out, if she didn't then she would be a mess for days. After what seemed like hours, the sobs slowly dulled and the tears faded until she was just sniffling, once she found that she had her resolve back she lifted herself into a sitting position.

"Hey" Ginny smiled sadly

"Hi" Hermione croaked, her throat hoarse with the crying she had done.

"I don't think I need to ask you how you are because clearly you're a mess" Ginny teased, trying to rouse a smile from her but to no avail

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Gee thanks Gin, just what I needed right now"

"Sorry" Ginny sighed before taking Hermione's hand in her own, "Listen, you both just need some space right now to cool down and clear you're minds. Once everything has settled down then Charlie will come home and you two can hash it out whatever way you want"

Hermione ignored the suggestive remark of her friend and shook her head, "What if he doesn't want to work it out? What if after our fight he doesn't want to be me with anymore? Maybe he'll just see me as the know it all, bossy bookworm again and leave. I'm sure he could find someone much better than me"

Ginny stared at her in disbelief, "Don't you dare talk about yourself like that Mione! Sure in school you might have been a know it all, bossy bookworm who never wanted to have any fun. But that was in school! Since the War you've grown so much and you're now a fiercely independent, smart and beautiful woman who doesn't take any crap from anyone" She squeezed her hand tightly and smiled as she saw a slight smile on Hermione's face.

"Listen to me, everyone has their arguments and as my Mum said the first fight in a Marriage is always the worst one. After that, any of the fights or disagreements that you have will seem tame compared to it so stop your worrying. I don't think Charlie will leave, in fact he's a big of a mess as you are right now"

That caught Hermione's attention, she looked at Ginny with wide eyes, "He is?"

Ginny nodded, "He is. Mum was hugging him before I decided to floo over and I definitely think he was crying on her shoulder. He hasn't done that since he was a kid, made the twins, Harry and Ron feel right uncomfortable, they didn't know whether to stay or leave"

Hermione giggled, she could just picture the four men standing there in the midst of a huge argument, looking awkward and torn between what to do. "I'm not surprised, Harry always hated fights. And I don't think your brothers seem comfortable seeing people cry, they don't know what to do"

The two girls laughed together and it warmed Ginny's heart knowing that she had helped to put a smile back on Hermione's face. "Tell me about it, when I was younger I tripped over a loose stone in the garden and scraped my knee, to me that felt like agony, it was bleeding and everything! They all ran out of the house, since Bill and Charlie were of age they had their wands out but when they saw me on the ground and crying they all started gaping and scratching their heads, you would have thought they had never seen a cut or a crying child before! They all ended up having to get Mum to come out and heal me up"

Hermione laughed at the visual story playing in her head, all of the Weasley men gathered round a crying Ginny, not having a clue what to do. As the girls laughter quieted down, Hermione pulled Ginny into a hug as much as she could considering her expanding belly. "Thanks Gin, I really appreciate it"

"Anytime Mione, that's what sisters are for" Ginny smiled and returned the hug. "Now, what's for dinner? Me and the baby are famished. Is take out okay for you?"

Meanwhile in the Burrow a distraught Charlie was clinging onto his Mother for dear life, his head was buried in her shoulder as he let the tears come out, he tried to not make any sound but couldn't help a quiet sob emitting from him every so often. Molly had to fight back her own tears seeing her second eldest son so upset, she hadn't held him this way in a very long time and to be doing so now after that big fight with Hermione, had her emotions going crazy to.

Just behind the two, Fred, George, Ron and Harry were glancing at each other and shuffling awkwardly on the carpet, caught between going into the kitchen and leaving the upset Charlie and his Mother to talk it out or staying here and trying to help. They were unsure of how much help they would be and were actually quite terrified at the thought of somehow making it all even worse, if that was possible. After a few minutes Charlie broke away from his Mother's hold and fell onto the sofa just behind him, he buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"Why did I say all of that horrible stuff to Hermione? I didn't even mean it!"

Molly sighed and sat down beside her son, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders. "We know you didn't mean it, and Hermione will realise that to in time. But in the heat of the moment, you say things you don't mean. Everyone does it"

Charlie sniffed and glanced up at her with red rimmed eyes. "They do?"

"Of course we do" Molly nodded. "I've said so many nasty things to your father when we've been in a big fight but after we've both had our own space and time to simmer down, we sit down and talk it out. I apologise to him for what I've said and he apologises to me for what he's said. Then we put it behind us and move on"

It all seemed so simple to Charlie when his Mum put it like that but it was just sitting down with Hermione to take it all out that seemed the biggest challenge, she didn't even want to see him right now, and he didn't know when she would even want him back in the house. It was all just a big confusing mess that no one knew how it would be fixed.

"I don't want to lose her Mum"

"I know son, I know" Molly soothed. "And you won't, this is Hermione we're talking about. Do you really think she would let things end after one fight? Hermione is, and I mean this in a good way, quite stubborn so when it comes to matters that she cares about and passionate about, she will not let it go until it's resolved. You two will be back to the way you were in no time"

Charlie sighed and leaned back against the sofa so he was now gazing up at the ceiling. "It's hard to give her space, I'm fighting against my instinct to just run over there and make sure she's okay. I hate the fact that I've upset her"

To everyone's surprise it was Fred that spoke up, "We know Char, but she's also upset you too. So you need time to yourself to be able to work everything out in your own mind before going back there. If you were to go back tonight in the state you both are in, it would just end up making things worse"

George nodded in response to his twin, "He's right you know, you two would just end up having another row and then you'd be back here crying your eyes out to Mum, do you really want that happening again?"

Charlie sighed and shook his head, "No, I don't"

"Good" Ron smiled, taking his own place on the sofa opposite Charlie, "Because neither do we"

The group groaned at their youngest brother's response and before he knew it, Ron got a smack to the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For having the emotional range of a teaspoon" Fred grinned

"And for being insensitive towards our brother" George continued

"And for you just being...you" Harry added, much the confused looks of everyone in the room, he just shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to add something, sorry Ron!"

Charlie couldn't help but chuckle at the antics of his brothers and Harry, even in their own dysfunctional way they were able to make him smile a bit. "Don't worry guys" He smiled at them, "It's fine and thanks for trying to help me feel better"

"Anytime Charlie boy!" Fred grinned and slapped his brother's back

"That's what we're here for" George piped up

"Every minute-"

"Of everyday!"

"We'll maybe not every minute..."

"We do have needs you know"

"Very _specific_ needs.."

"If you know what we're saying"

The twins smirked as Charlie frowned at the mental image of what his brothers were implying before throwing a pillow in their direction. "Okay okay, I get what you two mean. You don't need to add anymore detail to that"

"Oh you boys" Molly sighed, trying to frown at her sons but couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face at the thought of how much her sons wanted to help cheer Charlie up. Seeing that he would now be in the capable hands of his brothers, Molly decided to take her leave. She rose from her seat and smiled at her children, "I'll go put some dinner on now for you boys. And Charlie?"

Charlie looked up at his Mum with a small smile on his face.

"Don't fret my boy, everything will work itself out soon"

"I hope so Mum, I hope so"


	26. Quite Miss Home

It had been a few days since Hermione and Charlie's argument, neither had worked up the courage just yet to apologise and admit they were wrong. Charlie had still been staying at the Burrow but was slowly getting fed up of not being able to sleep in his own bed with his wife. Not only that but he had to deal with the various complaints with the pregnant women who now seemed to be round at the Burrow even more as their pregnancies progressed. Ginny seemed to be the worse, always muttering to herself about how Seamus had done this to her and she would get him back one day.

It wasn't that Charlie wasn't happy for his sister and sister-in-laws, but seeing them every day with their expanding bellies just made him miss Hermione more and it made him crave what they had even more, he truly couldn't wait to become a Father but how things were with Hermione at the minute, it just seemed impossible.

Just as Charlie was making a cup of tea the door to the kitchen slammed open, causing him to jump and spill some of the hot water on his hand. He cursed silently to himself and turned round to find a very angry looking Ginny glaring at him.

"Uh, hello?"

Ginny grunted and stalked into the kitchen, Charlie had to admit for a heavily pregnant woman, his sister could still move quite quickly.

"What are you still doing here Charlie?"

Charlie glanced down at his cup of tea and back up again at his irate sister, "Making a cup of tea?"

Ginny huffed and rolled her eyes, pulling out a chair for herself and lowering into gently, now that her stomach seemed massive it was getting a lot harder to manoeuvre herself about. Once she got herself into a semi-comfortable position she took to glaring at her brother again. "That's not what I meant and you know it"

Charlie sighed, finishing up what he was doing before taking a place at the table. "I don't know what to do Gin, I'm scared to go back" He ran a hand through his tousled hair, it wasn't like him to be scared of doing something, he worked with dragons for crying out loud! But the thought of going back to Hermione and not being forgiven for what he said, terrified him.

At the downcast look on her brother's face, Ginny softened ever so slightly, she had never seen Charlie look so lovesick and scared in all of her life. It was strange for her now to be comforting him rather than it being the other way around. She gently took his hand in hers and smiled, "Charlie, you had a fight. Big deal? In relationships fights happen, you can't control when they will or when they won't. Yes what Hermione did and said was wrong, but you also said some pretty hurtful things to her as well. You both need to pull your heads out of your arse's and apologise to one another before this drives everyone crazy!"

Charlie chuckled softly, he knew that Ginny was right; he couldn't let his fear of not being forgiven stop him from going home, he had to at one point or another. Although he loved being at the Burrow very much, he much preferred to be in his own home with his wife, doing absolutely nothing but cuddling and talking about their days. "I know you're right Gin, I just..." He paused, trying to find the right words to say. "It's just that I've never really felt like this about any woman before, and the thought of having ruined it because of one argument is driving me crazy. You know I don't get scared very often but I'm afraid that if I go home and Hermione doesn't forgive me then it's going to destroy me"

"I know Char" Ginny smiled sadly, "But she will, once Hermione has had time to calm and think about an argument or a fight, she usually becomes one of the most understanding people on this planet. You two just need to sort it out, plus I've just come from your place and believe me she's not doing the best either. She's going crazy with guilt over what's happened"

Charlie's eyebrows rose, "She is?"

"Of course she is!" Ginny slapped his hand, "Think about it Charlie, do you really think Hermione would be the type of person to ever cheat on someone?"

Without hesitation Charlie immediately answered, "No"

"And do you think that she's the type of person to let something go so easily?"

"No"

"Then there you have it, before both of you drive yourselves crazy with 'what If I done that or said that', just go talk it out and take it from there. It would do you both the world of good" Ginny smiled

Charlie sighed and nodded, he knew his baby sister was right. If they didn't fix this now then it would make everything a whole lot worse. "Thanks Gin, I really appreciate it"

Ginny smiled, leaning back in her seat and placing her hands on top of her bump, now that her job here was done she could finally relax and wait for the owl from Hermione to say everything had been sorted. "What are little sister's for? Now, go get your wife!"

Charlie didn't need any more encouragement than that, without another word he dashed into the living room and straight to the floo, he pulled the ash powder from the pot on the floor, threw it into the flames and called out his home address. He was finally ready to put everything to rest.

Hermione closed her book with a fed up sigh, she couldn't concentrate on reading anymore. She was sick and fed up of constantly reliving the fight in her mind, she just wanted some kind of peace and confirmation that everything was okay but with Charlie still back at the Burrow she didn't know when she was going to get that. She had always been a strong and opinionated women, often quite stubborn at times too which could create more problems, so she didn't understand why she was having this kind of reaction.

Apart from her relationship with Ron which now seemed a lifetime ago and a brief summer romance with Viktor Krum, Charlie was just her second long term relationship. To her she didn't know what a rational or not so rational reaction to an argument like this was. She isn't weak and she certainly does not need to rely on any man for anything. But Charlie is her husband and she never wants to fight with him. Marriage was certainly confusing.

As she rose from her seat to go get another cup of chamomile tea she heard the flames from the floo rising to life, she paused for a moment and silently hoped that it wasn't Ginny again arriving to try convince her to speak to Charlie, when she didn't hear the usual shout of her name she left the room and went back to the living room.

Hermione's breath hitched as she stepped into the living room and saw the all too familiar of her husband standing there. She had missed the sight of him over the days they had been parted, and she didn't realise just how much she had missed him until now. "Charlie?" She whispered

Charlie felt a familiar tug in his chest as his name was whispered from her lips, seeing her standing there all wrapped up in her favourite blanket, with a messy bun on top of her head and wearing one of her favourite shirts (which was actually his), he couldn't believe how lucky he was to be married to such an amazing and beautiful woman. The love he held for her hit him like a ton of bricks and without saying anything, he rushed over to her and enveloped her in a tight embrace, one hand wrapping around her waist and the other entwined with the stray pieces of her hair that had fallen loose from her bun.

They stood like that for a few minutes and in silence, both of them just enjoying the feeling of being back in each other's arms. Hermione clutched tightly to the back of his shirt, breathing in deeply and inhaling his intoxicating scent. She had missed him so incredibly much, it was the best feeling having him back in her arms.

After what felt like forever, the both pulled back ever so slightly from the hug so they could look each other in the eye. They both drank in the sight of each other, to anyone else it would seem that they had been parted for a lot longer than a week. Charlie took his hand from her hair and instead placed it gently on her cheek, cupping it softly as he looked into her chocolate brown eyes, a small smile on his face.

"I've missed you so much Mione"

Hermione felt the butterflies erupt in her stomach at the sound of his voice. "I've missed you too Charlie"

Charlie pulled her even closer to himself, "Listen, Hermione. I'm so sorry about our fight and about all of those things I said. They were horrible and untrue. I just felt...hurt at what happened"

Hermione winced ever so slightly but nodded in agreement with him, "I know Charlie, and I'm so sorry that I made you feel that way. That's the last thing I ever want to do. I know I should have came to you first and let you know what I was doing. But you have to believe me when I tell you that I would never, ever cheat on you"

Charlie nodded, "I know you wouldn't Mione, I don't think you could ever do such a thing" He placed a sweet kiss to the top of her head. "Instead of jumping to conclusions and running back to the Burrow I should have waited for you so we could speak about it together, instead I messed everything up by running away and then shouting at you. Can you forgive me?"

Hermione smiled, "Of course I can forgive you Charlie, you're my husband and no matter how big of a fight we have, we'll always get through it. But I want to ask you for your forgiveness too, I was wrong for keeping secrets and sneaking off behind your back. I should have told you from the very beginning what I was doing but I didn't, and that means I messed everything up too. Can you forgive me?"

Charlie chuckled, "Of course I forgive you, you silly witch"

In his happiness Charlie picked Hermione up and twirled her around, finally glad to be home and with the woman he loved again. Although he knew that they would have their disagreements and their fights, as long as they had each other, had their time to cool off and were able to talk things through again he knew they would be alright


	27. Feels Like Home Again

It had been a few weeks since Hermione and Charlie finally reconciled after their first fight, it seemed that everything was finally starting to get back on track for them. They had fallen back into their routine and the whole Weasley family were grateful that they had managed to sort things out, no one had wanted to chose sides or see their marriage end after such a short amount of time. They had managed to forgive each other just in time to mark Ginny's, as well as Angelina and Lavender's 7 month of pregnancy.

The whole family had decided to gather at the Burrow once more to celebrate the occasion, the girls were nearing the end of their pregnancies and they couldn't have had much different experiences. Ginny seemed to be miserable, although she had enjoyed the first few months of her pregnancy her belly had now grown that much she could no longer see her feet, her feet and ankles were constantly swollen and her back was in constant pain, she couldn't wait to give birth and enjoy the feeling of having her baby in her arms.

Angelina had experience a much more smoother experience so far, although not without it's concerns, she had begun experiencing Braxton hicks only a few days ago and she hadn't see George move so fast since his beater days at Quidditch, they had went from their home to St Mungos in what seemed like a matter of seconds. She just knew that George was going to be an amazing father, even though she knew how worried and panicked he was, as soon as that baby was born and placed into his arms everything would fall into place.

Lavender had seemed to have it the easiest, which she had no problem in bragging to everyone about. "It's just been the most amazing and beautiful experience" She sighed happily as she leaned into Ron's side and caressed her bump. Hermione had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, surely it hadn't been all that rosy in the 7 months she was pregnant but she was trying to not to judge too much, she knew everyone's pregnancies were different and often at times people could have relatively pain free and simple pregnancies, aside from that Hermione had finally gotten over her jealously of the three women, it had been petty and upsetting at first because Hermione had liked to be first in everything, she knew it wasn't a race or an exam, but she had wanted to be involved with being one of the first women to be pregnant. But she was okay with it, in fact she couldn't have been more happier for them. She knew that eventually everything would work out on its own and she could just envision the moment when she got to tell Charlie that he would become a father, it would make the waiting worth it.

Harry watched from across the room as the family socialised together, everything was peaceful and he still couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten all those years ago when the Weasley's helped him get onto the Hogwarts Express. He couldn't think of a better family to be apart of, and the fact he was officially family with Ron and Hermione made it even more special, he could never repay the people in the room for everything they had done for him throughout the years.

It was a family gathering that seemed so special to everyone for so many reasons and Ginny was glad that the family felt whole again. With the help of Seamus she rose from the sofa and clinked the side of her glass of orange juice to gather everyone's attention."I'd like to make a speech" she smiled as all eyes in the room turned towards her. "I just want to say thank you, to everyone for everything. I know that I haven't been the easiest person to get along with in the last few months because of the pain I've been in. But you have all done so much to help me feel more comfortable and to make this journey easier for Seamus and I" Ginny smiled and took Seamus' hand in her own.

"We couldn't have done anything without you. So cheers" Ginny raised her glass to everyone in the room and they followed suit. "Just before you all lose attention in what I'm saying, I have a very important question to ask a very special someone in this room"

Hermione raised her eyebrow as Ginny's eyes landed on her, she felt her face flush with heat as all eyes turned to her.

"Hermione, these last few weeks have been really difficult for you" Ginny smiled sympathetically as Hermione cringed at the reminder of the pain she had caused Charlie and her family. "But everyone has their rough patches in life, and you have gotten through your first one with your Husband and I pray that you don't have to go through another one for a long, long while"

Hermione laughed and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, she didn't know where Ginny was going with this but she was certainly feeling loved.

"Ever since we met you have been nothing but a big sister to me, always looking out for me and protecting from trouble...And Ron" Everyone in the room bar Ron laughed which made Ginny giggle more.

"Sorry Ron, but if Hermione didn't protect me then you would have tons more bat bogey hexes your way" Ginny grinned as Ron flinched from the memories.

'Fair point, and don't worry I remember our fights quite clearly so I'm glad we didn't have any more" Ron admitted

"Anyway" Ginny continued before she got more side tracker, "Hermione, you have been a big part of my whole life and I couldn't wish for a better sister. What Seamus and I would like to ask you is...Would you like to be our baby's Godmother?"

Hermione had no words, out of everything she thought Ginny would ask, she didn't expect to be asked that. The tears she had felt forming now began to trickle down her cheek, she looked to Charlie who was beside her and he was grinning like a mad man as he nudged her forward. "Go on"

Hermione sniffed and made her way over to Ginny, "You really want me to your baby's Godmother? Even though I tend to mess up...A lot?"

Ginny laughed and hugged Hermione the best she could with her bump getting in the way. "Of course we do! We couldn't imagine a better person to be Godmother for us. And we don't care if you mess up, everyone messes up. God knows I've messed up a lot but we'll make mistakes and we'll grow from them. You'll be one of the best role models for our little baby and we couldn't ask for better than that"

Hermione was so overwhelmed with love she couldn't find any words to convey her gratitude to Ginny, so she just hugged her as tight as she could, without hurting the bump, and put all her unspoken words into it, which seemed to work as when she pulled away Ginny was wiping away her own tears. "If you couldn't tell, that was yes by the way"

After the whole emotional speech from Ginny, Hermione excused herself to use the restroom, she needed to tidy herself up as more than likely her mascara had run, the one day she didn't wear waterproof mascara and something emotional had to happen. She locked the bathroom door and turned to the mirror, as she had predicted her make up had run and she looked like a wet raccoon. "Note to self, wear waterproof mascara at all times"

Hermione opened up her small beaded bag to get her make up out when she saw an unopened box of pads at the bottom of it, she frowned and lifted the box out. They were definitely unopened, how long had they been in there for? Hermione's heart began to pound in her chest and not wanting to waste another moment, she unlocked the door and ran to Ginny's old bedroom, thankfully Molly hadn't gotten around to fully redecorating it just yet so many of Ginny's old things, including her calendar were still around.

Hermione grabbed the calendar from the desk and flicked it open to the right month, her body ran like clockwork and she had never missed a period in her life, every month it would come on the same date and she never had to worry. Until now. She put her finger on the day it would usually come, and counted until the day they were on. Her eyes widened as she realised just how long it had been.

It had been 3 weeks. She hadn't had her period in 3 weeks


End file.
